Departures of note

Gregor Benko was an American writer, lecturer, record producer and collector-historian whose lifelong focus was classical piano performance as documented on recordings from and about the Romantic Era. For more than six decades he unearthed rare early piano recordings, illuminating an expressive, highly individual performance style that had fallen out of favor. His work helped lay the groundwork for the Romantic Revival, a movement that continued into the 21st century and reshaped how audiences and musicians understood the piano repertoire of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He died on August 12, 2026, at the age of 82.