Remembering A World-Renowned Pianist
Rivermont Collegiate is sad to announce the passing of beloved piano instructor, Louise (Meiszner) Nathanson. Mrs. Nathanson passed away at Trinity Medical Center in Rock Island on June 30, 2008. Kevin Nathanson has put up a very nice historical video of Louise Nathanson over the years with a recording of her playing in concert in the background. http://youtube.com/watch?v=8EQQnGHU3gk
Visit www.qconline.com to read more on the life of Louise Nathanson
Online condolences may be left at www.wheelanpressly.com
"Mrs. Nathanson’s passing is a great loss to her family and friends and to the Rivermont community. I will miss her Friday afternoon lessons and our frequent conversations", said Rivermont Headmaster, Mr. St. Laurent.
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Louise Nathanson |
Louise Meiszner was born in St. Louis, Mo., on August 24, 1924, the daughter of John and Lujza Meiszner. Louise knew her destiny by the age of four even before her unsuspecting parents realized she was a child prodigy. Louise’s world renowned love affair with music started one morning when she asked her father what he was doing, and he told her he was writing music. "What's music?" she asked. Her father pacified Louise by tearing off a scrap of his manuscript and writing the C major scale on it. The next morning Louise walked into her parent's bedroom and recited the notes for him. Three day’s later Louise was in a beginner’s book for piano. As a preschooler, Louise attended the acclaimed Liszt Academy in Budapest Hungary, from which both her parents graduated. At 13 years old, Louise earned her big break auditioning for the eminent Austrian conductor Erich Kleiber, which earned her a spot as soloist in his concert series. The recognition Louise obtained from those performances help her make her U.S. debut with the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra. Louise then enrolled at Juilliard School of Music where she obtained a masters degree in piano. She went on to receive the prestigious Leventritt Award.
After decades of traveling, Louise settled down with Rock Island businessman, Martin Nathanson. They were married following “a long, fat courtship of seven weeks”, Louise joked. Their only child, Kevin Nathanson enrolled as a preschooler at St. Katherine’s and holds the distinction of being the first male lifer, graduating from St. Katherine's/St. Mark's (now Rivermont) in 1978. The Nathanson’s formed a lifelong bond with teachers, families, and friends of the school during the fifteen years Kevin attended. Mrs. Nathanson's involvement with the school spanned 35 years, and included the labels "teacher", "parent", and most significantly, "friend". Mrs. Nathanson was still holding private lessons every Friday afternoon in the parlor of the Rivermont Mansion, until the week of her passing. “I will continue playing piano even though she is not there and I hope I can show her how much of an impact she has had on me. Mrs. Nathanson showed me how great the piano was and also taught me many life lessons. She always taught me that the piano will relax me when I am stressed and I hope to use that lesson.” Meghana Pagadala, Class of 2012 "As a student of Ms. Nathanson's for 10 years, I know that she not only was she a fabulous musician, but she was a the most amazing person I've ever known as well. I wasn't always the best student, but she stuck by me and let me develop my piano skills at my own pace. I recently discovered she actually fired students for not practicing, but she never even cracked the whip on me. She wasn't only my teacher, but she was like a grandma to me. She gave me all the encouragement I ever needed, and by the time recital came around, she always had faith that I would be prepared. In my hour long lessons, we would spend half of the lesson time just talking, and she always knew when something was wrong. We could always joke around and have a good time; she was like family to me. Her faith in everyone of her student's was enough to make anyone a great musician, and I think I can speak for all her students in saying that she'll never leave our hearts." |    |
Photos courtesy of Augustana Magazine
Source
Blaylock, Debbie. "At Ease at the Keys." Augustana Magazine, 1: 20. 1 July 2008 <http://www.augustana.edu/Documents/magsummer03faculty.pdf>.