Photo: Don Hunstein / Attribution (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Glenn Gould, born on September 25, 1932 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a pianist, composer and harpsichordist. Glenn Gould died on October 4, 1982, aged 50. Recorded honors include Grammy Award for Best Classical Album (1982), Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) (1982), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) and 3 more. Notable works include Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould album).
My Take
Glenn Gould is, for me, in a class entirely his own. The Toronto-born pianist made Bach's Goldberg Variations virtually synonymous with his name, and comparing his blazing 1955 debut with the meditative re-recording near the end of his life reveals two completely different inner worlds from one work. I find his eccentricity, the low chair, the humming, the hunched intensity, oddly endearing rather than affected. Most striking is his radical choice to abandon the concert stage for the recording studio, a philosophy of solitary perfection few would dare. He died at fifty in 1982, yet a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award still followed. I revere this uncompromising loner without reservation.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Glenn Gould
- Name (Japanese)
- グレン・グールド
- Reading
- ぐれん・ぐーるど
- Born
- September 25, 1932 – October 4, 1982
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Monkey
- Origin
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / harpsichordist / opinion journalist / music publicist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1982 Grammy Award for Best Classical Album
- 1982 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)
- 2013 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1973 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes
- 1979 Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble
- 1983 Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble
- 1984 Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble
- 1969 Molson Prize
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould album) | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://glenngould.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/GlennGouldFndn
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn%20Gould
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B0%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216924
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Glenn Gould born?
Born September 25, 1932.
When did Glenn Gould die?
Died October 4, 1982, aged 50.
Where was Glenn Gould from?
Glenn Gould was from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
What did Glenn Gould do?
Glenn Gould worked as pianist, composer, harpsichordist, opinion journalist, music publicist.
What was Glenn Gould known for?
Notable works include Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould album).
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