Ernö Dohnányi, also known as Ernst von Dohnányi or Dohnányi Ernő (July 27, 1877 – February 9, 1960) was a Hungarian conductor, composer, and pianist.

Born in Pressburg (Pozsony) in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia), he first studied music with his father, a professor of mathematics and amateur cellist, in the gymnasium at Pressburg, but afterwards became a pupil at the Budapest Academy, studying piano and composition with Carl Forstner , organist of the Bratislava Cathedral. In 1894 he became a pupil of Stephan Thoman for piano and of Hans Koessler for composition. Béla Bartók was one of his classmates there. Dohnányi's first published composition, a Piano Quintet in C minor, earned the approval of Johannes Brahms, who promoted the work in Vienna.

After a few lessons with Eugen d'Albert, Dohnányi made his debut in Berlin, 1897, and was at once recognized as an artist of high attainments. Similar success in Vienna followed, and thereafter he made the tour of Europe with the greatest success. He made his London debut at a Richter concert in the Queen's Hall, where he gave a memorable performance of Beethoven's G Major concerto.

During the following season he visited the United States, and established his reputation there.

Unlike most other famous pianists of the time, Dohnányi did not limit himself to solo recitals and concerto solos, but also played chamber music.

In 1902, one of his two sons, Hans von Dohnányi , was born to Ernő and his wife Elisabeth, who was also a pianist. Hans later distinguished himself as a leader of the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany, and was a friend and collaborator of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Hans in turn became the father of the well-known orchestral conductor, Christoph von Dohnányi.

Joseph Joachim invited Dohnányi to teach at the Hochschule in Berlin, which he did from 1905 to 1915. Going back to Budapest, Dohnányi organized over a hundred concerts there each year. In 1919 he was appointed director of the Budapest Academy, but was replaced the same year for purely political reasons. He became music director of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and promoted the music of Bartók and Zoltán Kodály and other Hungarians, but did not play his own music too often. Dohnányi's pupils include Géza Anda , Annie Fischer , and Sir Georg Solti.

In the 1920 season, he played the complete Beethoven piano works.

In 1934 he was again appointed director of the Budapest Academy, a post he managed to hold until 1941, having performed all 27 Mozart Piano Concertos. That year he had to disband the orchestra.

After World War II, which had claimed the lives of both of his sons in combat, Dohnányi moved to the United States. He had remained in fascist Hungary during the war, essentially apolitical though using his influence to protect Jewish musicians. A whispering campaign against him was promoted by the new communist government of Hungary, to the point where he found it necessary to leave. He was not able to revive his career as a concert pianist, but continued to compose, and became interested in American folk music; his last orchestral work, in 1953, is entitled American Rhapsody, and includes material including "On Top of Old Smokey" and "I am a Poor, Wayfaring Stranger." Dohnányi also found a teaching position for ten years at the Florida State University School of Music in Tallahassee, where an International Ernst von Dohnanyi Festival was held in 2002.

Compositions

Dohnanyi's compositional style was eclectic. Although he drew upon influences from Hungarian folk music, he is not considered a nationalist composer like Bela Bartok or Zoltan Kodaly. Dohnanyi's approach is deeply rooted in the strongest traditions of European classical music, and particularly bears the imprint of Johannes Brahms. However, he also absorbed diverse other influences, including that of American folk music (see above) and jazz.

Some of the best known compositions of Dohnányi include:

• Capriccios for piano, op. 2
• Piano Quintet No. 1 in C minor, op. 1
• Serenade in C major for string trio, op. 10
• String Quartet No. 2 in D-flat Major, op. 15
• Symphony No. 1 in D minor, op. 9
• Symphony No. 2 in E major, op. 40
• Sextet in C, op. 37 (for piano, strings and winds)
• Two Piano Concerti:
  • No. 1 in E minor , op. 5 (the opening theme is a derivative of that of Brahms' Symphony No. 1)
  • No. 2 in B minor , op. 42

This article is based in part on a text from the Etude magazine, 1909-1922.