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Earl Wild (born November 26, 1915) is an American pianist known especially for his transciptions of classical music and jazz. Wild is recognized widely as a leading virtuoso of his generation.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wild was a precocious child and studied under Selmar Janson, Simon Barere and Egon Petri, amongst others. As a teenager, he started making transcriptions of romantic music and composition.
In 1942, Arturo Toscanini invited him for a performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, the first for orchestra and soloist, which was a resounding success and made him a household name. During World War II, Wild served in the United States Navy as a musician and after the war moved to the newly formed American Broadcasting Company (ABC) as a staff pianist, conductor and composer until 1968.
Wild is renowned for masterclasses he held throughout the world, from Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo to the United States.
"Earl Wild"