1. Youth

Robert Henry was born in 1923 in Soochow, China, where his parents were American missionaries. He showed early signs of a remarkable musicality and, from the age of four on, a strong predilection for the piano. He began taking piano lessons when he was six, and by the time he was thirteen he had made up his mind to become a professional pianist. About this time he accidentally heard a recording of Walter Gieseking, who made a profound impression on him and did much to form his early notions of piano playing.