Thaddeus Kozuch - concert pianist, teacher, lecturer, scholar, composer ... a "Brilliant Piano Virtuoso"
1978 DUO pianists Thaddeus Kozuch & Dmitry Paperno RECITAL
This DePaul Faculty recital including all of the music and four encores was given by these duo virtuoso pianists on Thursday evening June 1, 1978.
Here is a link to the 1991 Kozuch Tribute which includes comments about Thaddeus Kozuch by his fellow faculty member and friend Dmitry Paperno.
Following the (Youtube video) introduction of music from the wonderful 1978 Kozuch-Paperno DUO piano recital,
pianist Dmitry Paperno biographical information is now presented below on our (ThaddeusKozuch.com) website.
Some of the music was repeated Wednesday June 28, 1978 in the weekly midday "Dame Myra Hess Memorial" concert series, broadcast by WFMT 98.7 radio, live from the Chicago Cultural Center.
The Elizabethan Suite (arranged by E. Bartlett)
The Elizabethan Suite (arranged by E. Bartlett) is made up primarily of pieces taken from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, a collection of hundreds of keyboard music works from the 16th and 17th centuries. Seven of them are presented here by DUO pianists Thaddeus Kozuch and Dmitry Paperno in a wonderful audio recording from their Thursday evening June 1, 1978 DePaul University piano faculty recital:
1. TIME 00:00 - John Come Kiss Me Now - by William Byrd (1540-1623)
2. TIME 03:10 - Earle of Salisbury's Pavane - by William Byrd (1540-1623)
3. TIME 04:28 - A Toye - by Giles Farnaby (1563-1640)
4. TIME 05:55 - A Dreame - by Giles Farnaby (1563-1640)
5. TIME 07:02 - Gigg Tower Hill - anonymous
6. TIME 07:52 - Fall of the Leafe - by Martin Peerson (1571-1651)
7. TIME 09:25 - King's Hunting Jigge - by John Bull (1562-1628)
(total time is 11:25)
Mozart Sonata for two pianos K.448 in D Major (composed 1781)
The Mozart Sonata for two pianos K.448 in D Major (composed 1781) is presented here by DUO pianists Thaddeus Kozuch and Dmitry Paperno in their virtuostic audio recording from a Thursday evening June 1, 1978 DePaul University piano faculty recital:
1. TIME 00:00 - 1st movement, Allegro con Spirito
2. TIME 05:19 - 2nd movement, Andante
3. TIME 11:55 - 3rd movement, Allegro Molto
(total time is 17:42)
This is the only recording of the Mozart two piano sonata by these musicians. The video includes an image of both pianists. Several selections from this recital were repeated Wednesday June 28, 1978 by these virtuoso pianists in the weekly midday "Dame Myra Hess Memorial" concert series, broadcast by WFMT 98.7 radio, live from the Chicago Cultural Center. That WFMT radio broadcast may be heard on our website via the PLAYLIST: "1978 DUO Kozuch-Paperno RECITAL".
FUTURE VIDEO - Schumann Andante & Variations
FUTURE VIDEO - Rachmaninoff Fantasy Suite #1
FUTURE VIDEO - Rachmaninoff Suite #2
FUTURE VIDEO - Four Recital Encores
BIO: Dmitry Paperno
Dmitry Paperno (1929–2020) was a concert pianist, author, scholar, and pedagogue. Similar to the storied career of Thaddeus Kozuch, the 16-years younger Paperno’s life was a bridge between the grand traditions of the Old World and the vibrant musical life of Chicago.
Born in Kyiv and forged in the Moscow Conservatory, Paperno became a laureate of the prestigious 1955 International Chopin Competition and a cornerstone of the Soviet musical elite before choosing a new life in the United States.
Like Thaddeus Kozuch, his legacy lives on through his students at DePaul University and his recordings. Dmitry was blessed in the era of improved audio recording technology and a discography that captures clean and poetic pianism.
Moscow Years (1940s–1950s) Dmitry’s journey began under the tutelage of the legendary Alexander Goldenweiser, a man who had personally known Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. At the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, Paperno earned his Master’s with Honors (1951) and his Aspirant Diploma (1955), emerging as a well known representative of the "Golden Age" of Russian pianism.
International Recognition (1955) was Paperno's landmark year, when he took 6th Prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw — the same competition that launched the career of Vladimir Ashkenazy. He followed this with a prize at the First International Enescu Competition in Bucharest (1958) and toured extensively across the U.S.S.R., Eastern Europe, and also Cuba.
USA Arrival (1976) Despite his status as a recording artist for the state label Melodiya, Paperno lived under the weight of Soviet political repression. After releasing his fourth solo album he notified officials of his intent to emigrate, and a year later in 1976 he arrived in Chicago. Paperno practiced on church pianos until his own grand piano arrived later from Moscow.
DePaul Legacy (1977–2020) Following his interview and a highly enthusiastic recommendation from Thaddeus Kozuch, who was head of the DePaul University School of Music piano department, Paperno joined the faculty and began teaching at DePaul in 1977.
Over the years, Dmitry Paperno and Thaddeus Kozuch developed a close professional musical working relationship, and a warm personal friendship. At DePaul Paperno served for decades as a Professor and eventually Professor Emeritus. He became well known in Chicagoland, known for his profound influence on generations of pianists.
Archival Information. Dmitry Paperno recordings — from the early Melodiya master tapes to his celebrated Cedille Records albums — remain a resource for piano performance historians and music lovers everywhere. Dmitry was not only a master of the keyboard but also a chronicler of his time. His memoirs, "Notes of a Moscow Pianist" (Amadeus Press), serve as a vital historical account of the tensions between artistic brilliance and Cold War repression. With a preface by Vladimir Ashkenazy, the book remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the "Russian School."