CHASINS, ABRAM  

Abram Chasins (1903-1987) studied with Ernest Hutcheson and Rubin Goldmark in New York. When he enrolled at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, he was fortunate to have studied with the legendary Josef Hofmann. For many American pianists of his day, radio offered a new and exciting venue for performance. Chasins saw the clear opportunities and became musical director of WQXR in New York in 1946. Later in life, Chasins was musician-in-residence at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and director of radio station KUSC. As a composer, Chasins wrote many pieces, primarily for his own performance, and later, when he married pianist Constance Keene, for their duo-piano concerts. The Concert Paraphrase on Strauss’s “Artists’ Life”, is among his best works for two pianos, four hands.