Georges Cziffra Date of birth 05.11.1921 Date of death 17.01.1994 Profession pianist Country Hungary Music critics used to call this artist a “fanatic of precision”, “pedal virtuoso”, “piano acrobat” and the like. In a word, he often has to read or hear those accusations of bad taste and meaningless “virtuosity for the sake of virtuosity” that once generously rained down on the heads of many highly respected colleagues. Those who dispute the legitimacy of such a one-sided assessment usually compare Tsiffra with Vladimir Horowitz, who for most of his life was also reproached for these sins. “Why is what was forgiven before, and now completely forgiven Horowitz, imputed to Ziffre?”…

Krystian Zimerman Date of birth 05.12.1956 Profession pianist Country Poland The rapidity of the artistic rise of the Polish artist seems simply incredible: in a matter of days of the IX Chopin Competition in Warsaw, an 18-year-old student of the Katowice Academy of Music went all the way from the obscurity of an ordinary musician to the glory of a young winner of one of the largest competitions of our time. We add that he became not only the youngest winner in the history of the competition, but also won all the additional prizes – for the performance of mazurkas, polonaises, sonatas. And most importantly, he became a true idol…

Vadym Kholodenko Date of birth 04.09.1986 Profession pianist Country Ukraine Author Elena Harakidzyan Vadim Kholodenko was born in Kyiv. Graduated from the Kyiv Special Musical School. N.V. Lysenko (teachers N.V. Gridneva, B.G. Fedorov). Already at the age of 13 he performed in the United States, China, Hungary and Croatia. In 2010 he graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky in the class of the People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Vera Vasilievna Gornostaeva, and in 2013 – and graduate school. Vadim Kholodenko is a laureate of international competitions named after Franz Liszt in Budapest, named after Maria Callas in Athens (Grand Prix), named after Gina Bachauer in Salt Lake…

Yakov Flier Date of birth 21.10.1912 Date of death 18.12.1977 Profession pianist, teacher Country the USSR Yakov Vladimirovich Flier was born in Orekhovo-Zuevo. The family of the future pianist was far from music, although, as he later recalled, she was passionately loved in the house. Flier’s father was a modest craftsman, a watchmaker, and his mother was a housewife. Yasha Flier made his first steps in art virtually self-taught. Without anyone’s help, he learned to pick by ear, independently figured out the intricacies of musical notation. However, later the boy began to give piano lessons to Sergei Nikanorovich Korsakov – a rather outstanding composer, pianist and teacher, a recognized “musical…

Annie Fischer Date of birth 05.07.1914 Date of death 10.04.1995 Profession pianist Country Hungary This name is known and appreciated in our country, as well as in many countries of different continents – wherever the Hungarian artist has visited, where numerous records with her recordings are played. Pronouncing this name, music lovers remember that special charm inherent in it alone, that depth and passion of experience, that high intensity of thought that she puts into her playing. They recall the noble poetry and immediacy of feeling, the amazing ability to simply, without any external affectation, achieve a rare expressiveness of performance. Finally, they recall the extraordinary determination, dynamic energy, masculine…

Vladimir Feltsman Date of birth 08.01.1952 Profession pianist Country USSR, USA At first, everything went extremely well. Authoritative musicians drew attention to the talent of the young pianist. D. B. Kabalevsky treated him with great sympathy, whose Second Piano Concerto was brilliantly performed by Volodya Feltsman. At the Central Music School, he studied with the excellent teacher B. M. Timakin, from whom he moved to Professor Ya. V. Flier in the senior classes. And already at the Moscow Conservatory, in the Flier class, he developed truly by leaps and bounds, demonstrating not only pianistic talent, but also early musical maturity, a broad artistic outlook. He was avidly interested not only…

Margarita Fedorova Date of birth 04.11.1927 Date of death 14.08.2016 Profession pianist, teacher Country Russia, USSR In 1972, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Scriabin was celebrated. Among the many artistic events dedicated to this date, the attention of music lovers was attracted by the cycle of Scriabin evenings in the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. In six intense programs, Margarita Fedorova performed all (!) compositions of the remarkable Russian composer. Works that rarely appear in the concert repertoire were also performed here – more than 200 titles in total! In connection with this cycle, I.F. Belza wrote in the Pravda newspaper: “A truly phenomenal memory, an impeccable,…

Galina Fedorova Date of birth 1925 Profession pianist, teacher Country Russia, USSR The abilities of the young pianist were once highly appreciated by the most astute teachers. K. N. Igumnov drew attention to a student of a ten-year school at the Leningrad Conservatory. Later, already in her student days, she was honored with the following words from A. B. Goldenweiser: “Galina Fedorova is a talented pianist with a determined, thoughtful, subtle manner of playing.” Professor L. V. Nikolaev also warmly treated her, with whom Fedorova had a chance, though not for long, to study at the time when the Leningrad Conservatory was evacuated to Tashkent. Further formation of her artistic…

Natalia Trull Date of birth 21.08.1956 Profession pianist Country Russia, USSR Natalia Trull – laureate of international competitions in Belgrade (Yugoslavia, 1983, 1986st prize), them. P. I. Tchaikovsky (Moscow, 1993, II prize), Monte Carlo (Monaco, 2002, Grand Prix). Honored Artist of Russia (XNUMX), professor at the Moscow Conservatory. In the “competition” of performers, the championship still belongs to men, although the times when women were ordered to enter the open concert stage are long gone. Equality of opportunity established. But… “If we consider the technical difficulties that have to be overcome,” says Natalia Trull, “it is much less convenient for a woman to play the piano than for a man.…

Vladimir Tropp Date of birth 09.11.1939 Profession pianist Country Russia, USSR Vladimir Tropp – Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (1998), Professor of the Russian Academy of Music. Gnesins and the Moscow State Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky. Vladimir Tropp’s playing is distinguished by a special refined intellectualism, artistic taste, masterly possession of piano resources and the ability to hear well-known music in a new way. “Going to his concert, you know that you will become a witness to a deeply personal reading of a musical work, filled at the same time with a lively, amazing content” (M. Drozdova, “Musical Life”, 1985). The artist’s concert repertoire is dominated by works of a…