William Masselos

By VARIETY STAFF

William Masselos, 72, a leading American pianist who introduced noted works by Charles Ives and Aaron Copland, died Oct. 23 at his home in N.Y. of complications from Parkinson's disease.

Masselos played the first performances of Ives' "Piano Sonata No. 1" in 1949 and Copland's "Piano Fantasy" in 1957. His wide-ranging repertoire also included works of such classical composers as Brahms, Schumann and Chopin. A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Masselos played with the N.Y. Philharmonic and with such conductors as Pierre Monteux and Leonard Bernstein.