About Raoul Koczalski
Raoul Armand Jerzy (von) Koczalski (3 January 1884 – 24 November 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer. He also used the pseudonym Georg Armand(o) Koczalski. == Biography == === Early years === Born in Warsaw, Koczalski was taught first by his mother, then by Julian Gadomski (1888–1890). Having made his first public appearance in 1888 (aged 4), his parents took him to play for Anton Rubinstein, who foresaw the possibility of a performing career. He never studied at a conservatory but had further private lesson on the piano and in composition with Ludwig Marek (1891–1892), Karol Mikuli (1821–1897) (Chopin's favorite Polish student and composer) and instrumentation with Henryk Jarecki (1893–1894). At the age of 7 he gave concerts, and at 9 he was playing in major European cities as a virtuoso. His thousandth concert was given in Leipzig in 1896, and by the age of 12 he had received awards such as the Order of the Lion and Sun (from the Shah of Persia), the title of Court Pianist (from the King of Spain), and a medal from the Turkish Sultan. Already as a child he had a very extensive repertoire. During World War I he was interned in Bad Nauheim, Germany. Iranian king Naser al-Din Shah Qajar described him as "very mischievous and clever, but played the piano beautifully—it was something extraordinary." The Shah noted that Kouzalski's mother claimed he was "crazy about the piano and played continuously until bedtime." Impressed by his performance, Naser al-Din Shah awarded him a medal and granted him permission to call himself the Shah's pianist.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.