WILLIAM MASSELOS
WILLIAM MASSELOS (1920-1992) was a pianist renowned for his versatile performances and commitment to contemporary music. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, to a Dutch mother and Greek father. At the age of 18, he made his New York debut at The Town Hall in 1938, and studied with Carl Friedberg, a disciple of Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and Nelly Reuschel (another Clara Schumann disciple) at New York's Institute of Musical Art (later called Juilliard School).
At age 32, Masselos’s career began to soar after his 1952 debut with the New York Philharmonic, performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto in D minor under Dimitri Mitropoulos. This launched a series of collaborations with major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Montreal Symphony, alongside conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Monteux, and Eugene Ormandy. Masselos was a pioneering advocate of contemporary music, premiering works by Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, Ben Weber, Alan Hovhaness, and many others.
Notable performances include the first renditions of Ives’ Piano Sonata No. 1 (1949) and Copland’s Piano Fantasy (1957). He was also the soloist for world premieres of concertos by William Mayer, Marga Richter, and Carlos Surinach. Despite his dedication to new music, Masselos retained a deep connection to classical repertoire, celebrated for his interpretations of Brahms, Schumann, and Chopin. His recordings of Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze and Brahms’ sonatas remain highly regarded. His performances, such as a three-and-a-half-hour concert at Carnegie Hall in 1969, showcased his commitment to broad, inclusive programming, inviting audiences to explore a diverse range of musical styles. Masselos’s approach to modern music mirrored his treatment of the classics, marked by an inquisitive and methodical exploration of new compositions.
He was one of the most respected pianists of his time. After one of his marathon concerts, Harold C. Schonberg of The New York Times described him “Always was one of the better American pianists, now he has developed into a great one. He is a pianist of tone, technique, musicianship, style, imagination, and sensitivity". William Masselos passed away in Manhattan in 1992 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. His legacy endures as a trailblazer in American piano music.
It is a pleasure and honor to posthumously welcome William Masselos into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame