HELLENISTIC PERIOD, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY B.C.

Claudio Arrau is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Born in Chile to a prominent family, Arrau and his two siblings were raised by their mother, Lucrecia León Bravo de Villalba, following the death of their father a year after Arrau’s birth. Lucrecia supported the family through teaching piano and introduced Arrau to the instrument at a young age. Demonstrating excellent talent by the age of 9, Arrau was sponsored by the Chilean government to move to Berlin to further his pianistic training. By the age of 11, Arrau distinguished himself as an exceptional artist and began his long, international career. Over the next several decades, Arrau traveled extensively across the world to perform and record his music. He later settled in Douglaston in Queens, where he lived alongside the many works of art he acquired over his storied career.