August Winding

August Winding (24 March 1835 – 16 June 1899) was a Danish pianist, teacher and composer.

August Henrik Winding was born in on the island of Lolland. His father was a clergyman who collected and arranged Danish folk songs and was his son's first music teacher. August had composition lessons with Carl Reinecke at the Leipzig Conservatory in 1847, and from 1848 to 1851 he studied the piano there with Anton Rée (1820-1886), who had been an acquaintance of Frédéric Chopin; as well as theory and composition with Niels Gade. In 1856 he had further study in Leipzig, and had lessons with Alexander Dreyschock in Prague.

His public career was originally as a pianist; he played in many countries of Europe, specialising in Beethoven and Mozart. His "calling card" was Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto.

In 1864 he married J. P. E. Hartmann's daughter Clara (Niels Gade married another daughter). In 1867 he became a teacher at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen and privately.

In 1867 he injured his arm through overwork, which forced his retirement as a performer but also enabled him to devote himself to composing. However, he resumed his pedagogical activity at the conservatorium in 1881. Between 1888 and his death he gave some further concerts.

August Winding died in 1899 in Copenhagen, aged 64. His music was for many years virtually forgotten, apart from some hymn tunes, but attention is now being paid to his major works.

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