Born in Odessa, Cherkassky's family fled to United States to escape the Russian Revolution, where he began to learn to piano at the Curtis Institute of Music under Józef Hofmann.
Cherkassky's family was born in Odessa. Cherkassky's family fled to United States. This was to escape the Russian Revolution. He began to learn to piano at the Curtis Institute of Music under Józef Hofmann.