Dohnanyi, << DOH nahn yih, >> Ernst von (1877-1960), a Hungarian composer and conductor, became one of the outstanding pianists of his time. Dohnanyi has been called the greatest Hungarian pianist and composer after Franz Liszt. Dohnanyi helped shape modern Hungarian musical life through his concerts and compositions and also through his influence as director of the Budapest Academy and chief conductor of the Philharmonic Society in Budapest. Dohnanyi’s major piano compositions include Four Rhapsodies (1902-1903), Humoresques (1907), and Ruralia Hungarica (1923-1924). He also wrote works for the stage, notably the comic opera The Tenor (1929). His most important orchestra compositions include two symphonies (1900-1901 and 1943-1944) and the Suite in F sharp (1908-1909). He also composed chamber music and vocal music.
Dohnanyi was born July 27, 1877, in Pressburg, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia). He was also known as Erno Dohnanyi. Dohnanyi left Hungary for Austria in 1944, during World War II. In 1949, he settled in Tallahassee, Florida, where he became pianist- and composer-in-residence at Florida State University. He died on Feb. 9, 1960. Christoph von Dohnanyi, his grandson, became an internationally recognized orchestra conductor.
