Godes Herman (1917-2007)

Godes Herman (30 March 1917 [according to other sources, 3 March 1920], Riga – 3 February 2007, USA) — distinguished pianist and educator.

Herman Godes graduated from the Latvian State Conservatory, where he studied under Professor P. Schubert. He later continued his studies with Walter Gieseking and Robert Casadesus.

In 1941, he was imprisoned in the Riga Ghetto and subsequently spent four years in Nazi concentration camps, including those in Riga and Magdeburg. After his liberation in 1945, he lived in West Germany, where he performed as a soloist and with orchestras across Germany and throughout Europe.

Owing to his status as a displaced person, he emigrated to the United States. He signed with Columbia Artists Management, touring across North America for ten years and continuing to perform regularly in Europe.

From 1960 to 1988, Godes taught at West Virginia University in Morgantown, where he also performed. He held the title of Honorary Professor at West Virginia University. In the 1990s, he served as Director of the Piano Department at the Tennessee Technological University.

His repertoire included works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Franck, Strauss, Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Bartók, Ravel, and Shostakovich.

From 1973, he performed with his wife, his former student Catherine Godes, as the Godes Duo.

Literature: Zālītis, J. S. 697, 789; Сегодня вечером (Tonight) (1937, No. 223; 1939, No. 83).