Artur Schnabel, born Aaron Schnabel in 1882 in Lipnik near Bielsko-Biała, Austro-Hungarian Empire, was an Austrian-born classical pianist, composer and pedagogue. He began learning the piano at age four and studied under Professor Hans Schmitt of the Vienna Conservatorium from age six. By age nine, he began studying under Theodor Leschetizky, and from age ten participated in all his classes. Leschetizky encouraged his focus on Schubert's sonatas. Schnabel made his official concert debut in 1897 at the Bösendorfer-Saal in Vienna. He moved to Berlin in 1898 and gained initial fame through orchestral concerts with conductor Arthur Nikisch and chamber music performances. Between 1932 and 1935, he produced the first recording of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, a milestone recognized by its inclusion in the National Recording Registry in 2018 for its historical significance. Schnabel left Berlin in 1933 after the Nazi Party took control and settled in the United States, moving there in 1939, and became a naturalized citizen in 1944. He continued giving concerts until his death in 1951 in Axenstein, Switzerland.
