File MS-5-2, Box 8, Folder 21 - Pianoscript book : an invaluable aid to teacher and student in preserving important advice and lesson notes in permanent form

Alberto Jonàs was a Spanish pianist, composer, and, perhaps most prominently, piano pedagogue. He started his musical education at the Madrid Roal Conservatory under Manuel Mendizábal before entering the Brussels Conservatory where he studied with Arthur De Greef and François-Auguste Gevaert. After competing the the first international Anton Rubinstein Competition, he became one of Rubinstein's pupils in St. Petersburg. In 1893, he moved to New York City, where he performed regularly. He returned to Europe in 1904 to teach at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin. The First World War forced him to return to New York, where he remained for the rest of his life. During this time, he became a respected and sought-after piano teacher. One of his students in New York City was the Canadian pianist Ellen Ballon. His correspondence and experiences during this time also led him to write the seven-volume Master School of Piano Playing and Virtuosity, with a number of well-known contributors and numerous examples from the piano repertory.