American pianist Irwin Gage died in Zurich on 12. April after a long period of physical impairment and illness. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1939 he was known above all as an accompanist for singers.
Irwin Gage studied piano, musicology and literature at the Universities of Michigan and Yale and at the Vienna Conservatory. He appeared as a pianist soloist, but above all as a sought after accompanist of singers such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Peter Schreier, Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbaender or Jessye Norman.
From 1979 to 2005, Gage taught lied interpretation at the Zurich University of Music and Performing Arts. In 2001 he was also appointed to a professorship for song interpretation in Saarbrücken.
