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Philip Challis

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Musician of Classical

The pianist Philip Challis [1929-1996] born in Huddersfield, the Yorkshire town world famous for its magnificent Choral Society, was able to read at sight at age 4 and quickly progressed, at first with local teacher Frederick Greenwood. In 1948 he took over at short notice in a concert when the soloist Colin Horsley became ill. Challis was a student of Iso Elinson at the Royal Manchester College of Music, then went on to study with Herbert Fryer (1877-1957) who had attended Busoni's classes. Fryer was an excellent pianist and teacher - among his students were Constant Lambert, Cyril Smith, Kendall Taylor, George Malcolm, Lance Dossor. Later Challis studied with Ilona Kabos (1892-1973), wife of Louis Kentner. Her musical studies were made at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. She taught many pianists who achieved eminence (Howard Shelley, Janos Solyom, Varella-Cid, Peter Frankl etc) in England then at the Juillard School. Challis, a pianist who excelled in the big virtuoso works of Ravel, Liszt, Scriabin and Bartok, performed widely in UK and Europe, made very many BBC broadcasts, featured in a number of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, in solo recitals and with orchestras. He was also a successful teacher in Worthing and London but died in mid-career before reaching the age of seventy.

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