Classical music is a tradition that is passed from teacher to student. Many pianists today can trace their lineage back to Czerny, a student of Beethoven, or to Liszt. I think it's fun for students to see these lineages to feel more connected to great teachers of the past. I have taken some time to trace a few of my teachers' lineages, which show the diversity of training I have been blessed to receive:
Jean Park
Gilbert Kalish
Leonard Shure
Artur Schnabel
Theodor Leschetizky
Carl Czerny
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gilbert Kalish (b. 1935): Renowned American pianist, educator, and chamber musician, long affiliated with Stony Brook University and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He was a student of Leonard Shure. He was my doctoral teacher at Stony Brook University and he taught me so much about playing and about life.
Leonard Shure (1910–1995): A prominent American concert pianist and highly influential teacher. He was Artur Schnabel’s teaching assistant.
Artur Schnabel (1882–1951): A legendary Austrian-born pianist and composer, world-famous for his benchmark recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas. He was a student of Theodor Leschetizky.
Theodor Leschetizky (1830–1915): One of the most important and influential piano pedagogues of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a direct student of Carl Czerny.
Carl Czerny (1791–1857): An immensely prolific Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist whose technical etudes remain a staple of piano pedagogy today. He studied directly under Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): The titanic German composer and pianist who bridged the Classical and Romantic eras.