John Thompson

John Thompson was born in Williamstown, Pennsylvania, the eldest of four children. He began music study at the age of five, and studied piano with Maurits Leefson at the Leefson-Hille Conservatory (Philadelphia), and composition with Dr. Hugh Clark at the University of Pennsylvania. In his early twenties, Thompson toured the United States and Europe as a concert pianist, performing with several prominent European orchestras. Upon his return he began a distinguished career as a pedagogue, heading music conservatories in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Kansas City. Today his legacy lies in the continued popularity of his remarkable method books, Teaching Little Fingers to Play, Modern Course, and Easiest Piano Course, used by teachers in the United States and abroad.