German pianist and composer

Wilhelm Kempff

Intro
German pianist and composer
Awards Received
Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
Member of, past and present

Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts

Album cover for Wilhelm Kempff's recording of
Beethoven Piano Sonatas on DG 139 935 (1965),
which received the Grand Prix du Disque.

Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991) was a German pianist and composer. Although his repertoire included Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well known for his interpretations of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, recording the complete sonatas of both composers. He is considered to have been one of the chief exponents of the Germanic tradition during the 20th century and one of the greatest pianists of all time.