Pianist and harpsichordist Wanda Landowska’s dedication to her craft played a significant role in reviving the obsolete harpsichord in the 20th century. Born in Poland in 1879, Landowska was a young prodigy, taking up the piano at age 4. She graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory of Music at just 14, and by her mid-20s was performing for Russian royalty. By 1941, after escaping the Nazi occupation of Europe, Landowska had made her way to the United States, where she extensively toured, recorded, wrote, and taught. In 1949, she settled in Lakeville, Connecticut; there, Landowska spent hours every day, often late into the night, playing — not practicing, in her famous words — her beloved harpsichord. Her Lakeville home became known as the Landowska Center, where students from all over the world study her scores and even perform on the artist’s personal instruments.
