Josef Proksch

Josef Proksch or Joseph Proksch (4 August 1794, Reichenberg (now Liberec) – 20 December 1864, Prague) was a Bohemian-German pianist and composer. His daughter, Marie Proksch, was also a well-known pianist and composer.

Josef Proksch

Biography

Proksch, who became blind at the age of 13,^[1] was a pupil of Jan Antonín Koželuh.^[2] In 1830, Proksch opened the Musikbildungsanstalt (Music Academy) in Prague.^[2] His teaching method of having several students play simultaneously during piano lessons was continued for over a hundred years. His most famous student was Bedřich Smetana, whom Proksch taught piano and music theory from 1843 to 1847.^[2]

Selected works

Besides pedagogical works for piano, Proksch wrote a concerto for three pianos, piano sonatas, masses, and cantatas, and adapted numerous orchestral works to four to eight pianos for use in his lessons.

• Versuch einer rationellen Lehrmethode im Pianoforte-Spiel – 50 volumes, pedagogical work (1841–1864)
• Die Kunst des Ensembles im Pianoforte-Spiel – 7 volumes, pedagogical work (1859)