Serge Conus
Encyclopedia
Serge Conus was a Russian
pianist and composer who performed in the United States and Europe.
) and a Russian mother. His musical family also included his grandfather Eduard Conus, a professor at the Moscow Conservatory
, and fellow professor and composer uncles Georgi
and Lev Conus
. He began studying piano at the age of four and wrote his first composition at the age of six. At seven, he composed a piano piece and voice and a Gavotte which he would later play for the Princess Heiress of Italy.
After obtaining his Baccalaureate degree at the Russian gymnasium
of Essentuki
, Conus left Russia in 1920 and rejoined his parents and his brother Boris in Paris, France. He continued his musical studies in the piano at the NATIONAL ACADEMY, with the famous pianists Isidor Philipp
and Alfred Cortot
as his teachers.
where he spent two years in monasteries. He became the bell ringer of the Saint Alexander Cathedral
in Sofia. His burgeoning faith in Russian Orthodoxy
prodded him to enter University of Sofia's theological program, where he obtained his degree in Theology in 1929.
He continued his piano and composition studies, encouraged by the Polish Ministry of Sofia to pursue a musical career in Warsaw
, Poland
. There he gave a series of "soirées musicales" in the private homes of Polish aristocrats.
In 1936, he studied in Vienna
, Austria
, with Paul Von Kohn, professor and student of Anton Rubinstein
. In the following years, he gave a great number of widely acclaimed concerts throughout Europe in cities such as Vienna, Paris, Rome, Pisa, Florence, and other cities. He played the works of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Medtner, as well as original compositions. In France at La Rochelle and Cognac, he gave a series of recitals consecrated chronologically to the music of Beethoven and Chopin. In Paris, he was a student of noted pianist Isidor Philipp
.
, Morocco
, where he was a Professor of music for almost ten years, traveling as far as Tunisia and Algeria to teach, and also played in a jazz band.
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
pianist and composer who performed in the United States and Europe.
Early life
Conus was born in Moscow to an expatriate Russian father living in France (Julius ConusJulius Conus
Julius Conus was a Russian violinist and composer.Conus was born in Moscow on to a distinguished musical family of French extraction who had migrated to Russia at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. His father was the piano teacher Eduard Conus, and his brothers were the composer and music teacher...
) and a Russian mother. His musical family also included his grandfather Eduard Conus, a professor at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
, and fellow professor and composer uncles Georgi
Georgi Conus
Georgi Eduardovich Conus was a Russian composer. He was the eldest of the three Conus brothers, of whom the others were Julius and Lev.He had a marked influence upon such students as Alexander Scriabin and Reinhold Glière. For a time, much was expected of Georgi as a composer...
and Lev Conus
Lev Conus
Lev Eduardovich Conus was a Russian pianist, music educator, and composer. A brother of the composers Georgi Conus and Julius Conus, he studied together with Sergei Rachmaninoff in Anton Arensky's advanced composition class and served as chief professor of piano at the Moscow Conservatory until...
. He began studying piano at the age of four and wrote his first composition at the age of six. At seven, he composed a piano piece and voice and a Gavotte which he would later play for the Princess Heiress of Italy.
After obtaining his Baccalaureate degree at the Russian gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
of Essentuki
Essentuki
Yessentuki is a city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. The city serves as a railway station in the Mineralnye Vody—Kislovodsk branch, and is situated southwest of Mineralnye Vody and west of Pyatigorsk. It is considered the cultural capital of Russia's...
, Conus left Russia in 1920 and rejoined his parents and his brother Boris in Paris, France. He continued his musical studies in the piano at the NATIONAL ACADEMY, with the famous pianists Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
and Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
as his teachers.
Religious awakening
Shortly after his studies at the Conservatory, Conus left his family for BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
where he spent two years in monasteries. He became the bell ringer of the Saint Alexander Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols...
in Sofia. His burgeoning faith in Russian Orthodoxy
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
prodded him to enter University of Sofia's theological program, where he obtained his degree in Theology in 1929.
He continued his piano and composition studies, encouraged by the Polish Ministry of Sofia to pursue a musical career in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. There he gave a series of "soirées musicales" in the private homes of Polish aristocrats.
Performances in Europe
Conus stayed in Warsaw from 1929 to 1933, and then returned to Bulgaria where he gave a series of recitals in concert halls and on the radio.In 1936, he studied in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, with Paul Von Kohn, professor and student of Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
. In the following years, he gave a great number of widely acclaimed concerts throughout Europe in cities such as Vienna, Paris, Rome, Pisa, Florence, and other cities. He played the works of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Medtner, as well as original compositions. In France at La Rochelle and Cognac, he gave a series of recitals consecrated chronologically to the music of Beethoven and Chopin. In Paris, he was a student of noted pianist Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
.
Morocco
In 1950, he departed for KenitraKenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where he was a Professor of music for almost ten years, traveling as far as Tunisia and Algeria to teach, and also played in a jazz band.
Later years in the United States
Conus arrived in the United States in September 1959. He taught for two years at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and gave local private lessons and small concerts throughout the country, though never achieving the same level of fame as he had in Europe. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Boston in 1988, leaving behind a legacy of unpublished musical works.External links
- Website containing audio of his work