Emanuel Ax

Emanuel 'Manny' Ax is an American classical pianist and Grammy winner. Born on 8 June 1949 in Lviv, Ukraine, to Polish-Jewish parents Joachim and Hellen Ax, both survivors of Nazi concentration camps. Ax began studying piano at the age of six, with his father as his first teacher. The family later moved to Warsaw, Poland, and then to Winnipeg, Canada, where Ax continued to study music. In 1961, they settled in New York City, where Ax pursued his studies at the Juilliard School. He received his B.A. in French from Columbia University in 1970 and became an American citizen. Ax's talent was recognized with an honorable mention at the VIII International Chopin Piano Competition in 1970.