Avery Fisher Artist Program Oral History Project

Emanuel Ax

1979 Avery Fisher Prize Recipient; Classical Pianist; Member of the Executive Committee of the Avery Fisher Artist Program.

An interview with Emanuel Ax conducted October 29, 2019 by Gerry Albarelli for the Columbia Center for Oral History, Avery Fisher Artist Program Oral History Project. 

Emanuel Ax is a classical pianist who received the Avery Fisher Prize in 1979. He became a close friend of the Fisher family, as well as of Yo-Yo Ma, with whom he has often collaborated. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, holds honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Skidmore College, Yale University, and Columbia University, and, on the recommendation of Avery Fisher, became a member of The Century Association. He serves on the Avery Fisher Artist Program’s Executive Committee.