Josef Proksch

Josef Proksch or Joseph Proksch was a Bohemian-German pianist and composer. His daughter, Marie Proksch, was also a well-known pianist and composer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article on Josef Proksch.

From the period sources

Josef Proksch, born in Reichenberg, Bohemia, on August 4, 1794, overcame significant adversity to become a notable figure in music education. He lost the use of his right eye at age eight and was completely blind by seventeen, yet, having learned musical notation before his sight failed, he made remarkably rapid progress at the Prague institution for the blind, which he entered in 1811, as recorded in Fétis’s Biographie universelle des musiciens (1866). Proksch received piano lessons from Wenceslas Rozeluch and clarinet instruction from Farnik, developing sufficient talent on the clarinet to undertake an artist’s tour through Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary, and Austria.

He founded a successful music school in Prague, enthusiastically adopting Logier’s teaching system, and authored “Aphorismen über katholische Kirchenmusik” (1858). Proksch’s pedagogical influence extended to many distinguished pianists, including Auguste Auspitz-Kolar, who studied with him before further training with Smetana and Mme. Clauss-Szarvady (A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1900). Franz Bendel, an “accomplished pianist,” was also a pupil of Proksch before studying with Liszt (A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1900). Friedrich Smetana, a “highly skilled pianist,” likewise studied under Proksch at Prague (Grove’s Dictionary, 1908), as did Anton Ruckauf, who later taught at Proksch’s Institute before Brahms advised his further studies in Vienna (Grove’s Dictionary, 1922). Proksch’s own compositions included piano variations praised for their “distinction” and “rare elegance,” and Lieder of “exquisite sentiment,” though his orchestral works remained in manuscript, according to Fétis (1866).