Last Updated on November 8, 2024
By age 16, Leon Fleisher was performing at Carnegie Hall, but when he was in his mid-20s, he was suddenly struck by a rare neurological disease that robbed him of the use of his right hand. Devastated, he sought a cure, and while he waited for the medical community to find him an answer, he learned to be a one-handed concert pianist.
Finally, when he was in his 60s, he found redemption in a popular cosmetic drug and he returned triumphantly to Carnegie Hall.
Leon Fleisher passed away in 2020 at the age of 92. Growing Bolder spoke with Fleisher when he was 81 – and he was thriving like never before, working as a conductor, instructor and finally, a two-handed pianist. Leon shared his philosophy of determination and revealed what he discovered when he thought life as he knew it was over.
Click here to listen to more samples of his music and for a full list of his albums.
