Victor Merzhanov
Encyclopedia
Victor Karpovich Merzhanov (b. August 15, 1919, Tambov
) is a Russia
n pianist
.
in the classes of Samuil Feinberg
(piano) and Alexander Goedicke
(organ), graduating with distinction.
He achieved international recognition as a pianist in 1945 when he won the first prize (shared with Sviatoslav Richter
) at the Third All-Soviet-Union
Piano Competition. In 1949, he was placed tenth at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw
. His name is inscribed on the Moscow Conservatory
's marble wall along with those of Scriabin and Rachmaninov. Merzhanov became a Moscow Philharmony soloist in 1946.
Merzhanov has been a Professor at the Moscow Conservatory
since 1947. Among his students are prize-winners of international competitions: Vladimir Bunin, Oleg Volkov
, Igor Girfanov, Yuri Didenko, Mikhail Olenev, Hideyo Harada, Nazzareno Carusi
, Tatiana Shebanova, Ruslan Sviridov
, Irina Khovanskaya, Anna Yarovaya, Anahit Nersesyan
, Elena Ulyanova and many others.
During his 60-year stage career, Merzhanov gave more than 2000 recitals and concerts in Russia, Europe, United States, China, and other countries, with such conductors as Lorin Maazel
, Kurt Sanderling
, Kirill Kondrashin, Nikolai Anosov, Aleksandr Gauk
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
, Yuri Temirkanov
and Evgeny Svetlanov
.
His recordings (on major labels in the USA, Italy
, Japan
and the USSR) show his repertoire, including works from the Baroque
period to contemporary music, from works by Bach
and Beethoven to those by Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
From the start of his career he championed Contemporary classical music
and was chosen by Prokofiev to give the first performance of his Sixth Sonata. Today a Professor at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Tambov Rachmaninov Institute, Merzhanov sits as a jury member in more than 40 international competitions including the Rachmaninov Competition (which he has founded) and Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the Bartok-Liszt Competition in Budapest, and international competitions in Montreal
, Tokyo
, Brussels
and others. In addition, Merzhanov is the artistic director of the Rachmaninov Piano Courses, and has contributed greatly to the Rachmaninov Museum in Ivanovka
near Tambov.
Tambov
Tambov is a city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tsna and Studenets Rivers southeast of Moscow...
) is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Biography
Studied at Tambov Musical College with Solomon Starikov and Alexander Poltoratsky. Between 1936-1941 he studied at the Moscow ConservatoryMoscow 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...
in the classes of Samuil Feinberg
Samuil Feinberg
Samuil Yevgenyevich Feinberg was a Russian and Soviet composer and pianist. Raised in Moscow, he entered the Moscow Conservatory and studied under Alexander Goldenweiser. He is most remembered today for his complete recording of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier and many transcriptions. Feinberg...
(piano) and Alexander Goedicke
Alexander Goedicke
Alexander Fyodorovich Goedicke was a Russian composer and pianist.Goedicke was a professor at Moscow Conservatory. With no formal training in composition, he studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory with Galli, Pavel Pabst and Vasily Safonov. Goedicke won the Anton Rubinstein Competition in 1900...
(organ), graduating with distinction.
He achieved international recognition as a pianist in 1945 when he won the first prize (shared with Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Childhood:...
) at the Third All-Soviet-Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Piano Competition. In 1949, he was placed tenth at the Chopin Competition 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...
. His name is inscribed on 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...
's marble wall along with those of Scriabin and Rachmaninov. Merzhanov became a Moscow Philharmony soloist in 1946.
Merzhanov has been 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...
since 1947. Among his students are prize-winners of international competitions: Vladimir Bunin, Oleg Volkov
Oleg Volkov
Oleg Volkov is a Russian pianist, b. 1958.He was second to Marc Raubenheimer at the 1982 Paloma O'Shea Competition and subsequently served as Victor Merzhanov's assistant professor at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1990 he settled in the United States and began a concert career.-References:* El País,...
, Igor Girfanov, Yuri Didenko, Mikhail Olenev, Hideyo Harada, Nazzareno Carusi
Nazzareno Carusi
Nazzareno Carusi is an Italian pianist. He studied under Alexis Weissenberg and Victor Merzhanov.-Biography:Nazzareno Carusi was born in Celano, Abruzzo.In 1993 he began teaching as the youngest assistant of Viktor Merzhanov...
, Tatiana Shebanova, Ruslan Sviridov
Ruslan Sviridov
Ruslan Valentinovich Sviridov is a Russian pianist.-Biography:In 1987-1991 studied at Tambov Musical College with Natalia Kolpakova...
, Irina Khovanskaya, Anna Yarovaya, Anahit Nersesyan
Anahit Nersesyan
Anahit Nersesyan , a famous Armenian pianist was born in 1954 in Yerevan. She studied at the Tchaikovsky Music School, Yerevan from 1961-72 with Professor E. Voskanyan. Continued education at the Moscow State Conservatory, the class of Professor V. Merzhanov, from 1972 - 77. Got post-graduate...
, Elena Ulyanova and many others.
During his 60-year stage career, Merzhanov gave more than 2000 recitals and concerts in Russia, Europe, United States, China, and other countries, with such conductors as Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
, Kurt Sanderling
Kurt Sanderling
Kurt Sanderling, CBE was a German conductor.-Biography:Kurt Sanderling was born in Arys, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire to Jewish parents. After early work at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, he left for the Soviet Union in 1936, where he worked with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra...
, Kirill Kondrashin, Nikolai Anosov, Aleksandr Gauk
Aleksandr Gauk
Aleksandr Vassilievich Gauk was a Russian/Soviet conductor and composer.Aleksandr Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as hearing army bands and his mother singing and accompanying herself at the piano...
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky is a Russian conductor.-Biography:Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya...
, Yuri Temirkanov
Yuri Temirkanov
Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov is a Russian conductor of Circassian origin.Yuri Temirkanov has been the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic since 1988.-Early life:...
and Evgeny Svetlanov
Evgeny Svetlanov
Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov was a Russian conductor, composer, and though less well-known, a pianist.Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting at the Moscow Conservatory. From 1955 he conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre, being appointed principal conductor there in 1962...
.
His recordings (on major labels in the USA, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the USSR) show his repertoire, including works from the Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
period to contemporary music, from works by Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
and Beethoven to those by Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
From the start of his career he championed Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
and was chosen by Prokofiev to give the first performance of his Sixth Sonata. Today a Professor at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Tambov Rachmaninov Institute, Merzhanov sits as a jury member in more than 40 international competitions including the Rachmaninov Competition (which he has founded) and Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the Bartok-Liszt Competition in Budapest, and international competitions in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and others. In addition, Merzhanov is the artistic director of the Rachmaninov Piano Courses, and has contributed greatly to the Rachmaninov Museum in Ivanovka
Ivanovka
Ivanovka is an estate near Tambov, Russia, which used to be the summer residence of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff in the period between 1890 and 1917 . It was the family home of his aristocratic relatives, the Satins. Many of Rachmaninoff's earlier masterpieces were created in its...
near Tambov.