Gregor Benko: key obituary facts
Is Gregor Benko dead? Yes. Gregor Benko died on August 13, 2026, at age 82.
Cause of death: Gregor Benko's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Gregor Benko known for?
He was an American historian.
More about Gregor Benko
Born: 4 August 1944.
Place of birth: Cleveland.
Gender: male.
Occupation: music historian, record producer, composer, actor.
Nationality: United States.
Gregor Benko, the American music historian behind the International Piano Archives, died on August 13, 2026, aged 82.
Born in Cleveland on August 4, 1944, he built a career as a writer, lecturer, record producer and collector-historian with a primary focus on classical piano performance preserved on recordings from the Romantic era. Along with Albert Petrak, he founded the International Piano Archives, then known as the International Piano Library, and managed the nonprofit for two decades.
He also helped assemble a major collection of recordings, scores and memorabilia, and was noted for bringing previously little-known performances by Josef Hofmann to public attention, as well as helping revive interest in the Hungarian pianist Ervin Nyiregyházi.