Ferdi Statzer
Ferdi Statzer (né Friedrich von Statzer; 1906 – 17 June 1974) was an eminent Austrian pedagogue, pianist, conductor and composer. A native Viennese, his musical career transplanted him to Turkey, where he became an influential teacher to a generation of pianists. Early life Statzer was born in Vienna, Austria in 1906, to a father of Hungarian-Polish origin and a mother of Austrian descent. Following initial piano lessons with his mother, Statzer entered Mozarteum University of Salzburg, where his teachers included Emil von Sauer and Friedrich Wührer. After graduating in 1925, Statzer continued his music education at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, where he studied composition with Joseph Marx. Career in Turkey In 1932, Statzer met Turkish composer Hasan Ferit Alnar, who invited him to Turkey. Through the good offices of Alnar, Statzer joined the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory (now Istanbul University State Conservatory) as a faculty member and was employed by the İstanbul Şehir Tiyatroları (Istanbul State Theaters) as a composer and a pianist. Statzer taught for many years at the Conservatory, establishing a distinct and influential school of pianism. Some of his pupils went on to successful concert or other significant music careers; these include Mehmet Kurdoğlu,