Dina Turgeman

Dina Grossvogel Turgeman was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Her Polish-born art dealer family emigrated to Luxembourg.[1] She studied piano at the Luxembourg Conservatory, with Lucien Lambotte,[2] and at age 14 won „Premier prix avec grande distinction par 60 points“, (“first prize with distinction”).[3] A year later, February 24, 1938, she gave her first recital at the Luxemburg Casino playing works of Glinka, Balakirew, Ljadow, Glasunow and Arenski.[4]

She went on to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels where she won „Premier prix avec distinction“ (First prize with distinction) in 1939.[4] She won first prizes in competitions and played in concerts that were broadcast across Europe.[5] During her studies she received the honor of Queen of Belgium's patronage.[6] During the Second World War in 1941, her family was on the list to be deported to the Litzmannstadt Ghetto (Łódź), [7] Turgeman and her family, with forged papers under the name ‘Dubois’ and assisted by Lucien Lambotte,[8] hid in a convent near Liege in Belgium, where she played the organ at Mass every morning.[9]

After the war she continued with her studies at the Brussels conservatoire,[10] and played numerous concerts, as soloist and chamber music, in Brussels and for the Luxembourg radio.[11]

In 1949, the family immigrated to Israel.[12][13]

She married a fellow musician she met touring in Israel, Mordechai Turgeman.[14]

Turgeman played as soloist and chamber music with musicians from Israel and abroad[15] [16] including Yitzhak Blassberger, Simcha Cheled, Georg Marton, Avraham Melamed, Nahum Pinczuk, Meir Rimon, Moshe Stieglitz, Arie Yisraeli[17] in a wide repertoire which included Bach, Beethoven, Brahms,[18] Britten, Chausson, Kodaly, Martinu[19] Mozart, Partos, Poot, Tchaikowski, Villa-Lobos as well as Belgian composers.[20] She taught students from all over the world who went on to Juilliard, the Metropolitan Opera and other musical institutions.[21]

Turgeman developed a unique teaching method that allowed musicians to reach their full potential, with a specific technical base of rebuilding the finger strength and efficient easy playing.[22] Among her students were Astrit Balzan, Leora Cohen, Mikael Eliason,[23] Ethan Globerson,[24] Revital Hachamoff,[24] Yehuda Inbar,[25] Nico Levi, Eytan Pessen, Irit Rimon Neidorff, Ayala Rosenbaum,[26] Adi Rosenkranz,[27] Zvi Semel and Michal Tal. She taught up to the age of 88.

After her death in 2014 at the age of 91[28] the story of her curtailed career, deportation and post war antisemitism were featured in varied media in Luxembourg and Belgium.[29] [30] led by the historian Denis Scuto.[31][32] the Jerusalem Music Academy created a chamber music competition on her name.[33] [34]

• Music in Israel