Canada's Walk of Fame Celebrating Inductee Glenn Gould

The greatest piano genius Canada has ever produced showed such remarkable talent at a young age -- at age three, Glenn Gould displayed absolute pitch and could read sheet music, and by age five was already working on his own compositions. Gould had only one music teacher up to the age of 10, and that was his mother, whose grandfather was a first cousin of Edvard Gried. He then began studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

As a young performer, Glenn Gould viewed all types of competition with disdain, but he did win one event - the Piano Trophy at the Kiwanis Music Festival. Gould passed his associateship tests qualifying him as a certified professional at the tender age of 13.

Glenn Gould had a remarkable effect on the way people hear, perceive, and appreciate music. Even though the Toronto, Ontario-born pianist did not perform live for most of his mature career (he once stated, "At live concerts I feel demeaned, like a vaudevillian,"), he reached an ever-growing audience through film and studio recordings.

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Known for his piano interpretations, Gould continues to have as much effect in death as in life. Tourists from around the world still make pilgrimages to his Toronto gravesite. Many books are still written about him, and his famous interpretation of the Goldberg Variations has been in the top-ten best-sellers list for classical recordings since 1955.

Tragically, Glenn passed away after suffering a stroke on October 4th, 1982. He willed a substantial amount of his estate to the Toronto Humane Society.

Steve Posen, Executor of the Glenn Gould estate, says, "It is especially pleasing to know that the national appreciation of Glenn is as strong as this honour indicates."

Interesting note

Gould's first public performance was in 1945 on the organ, a concert which was reviewed under the headline "Boy, age 12, Shows Genius As Organist."

Inductees

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