Vladimir Ashkenazy
 |
Vladimir Ashkenazy |
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (sometimes transliterated
Ashkenazi) (
Russian: Π'Π»Π°Π΄ΠΈΜΠΌΠΈΡ Π"Π°Π²ΠΈΜΠ΄ΠΎΠ²ΠΈΡ ΠΜΡΠΊΠ΅Π½Π°Π·ΠΈ) (born
July 6,
1937) is a
conductor and
pianist. Born in
Nizhny Novgorod,
Russia to a
Jewish father and a
Russian Orthodox mother, he has been an
Icelandic citizen since
1972.
Ashkenazy began his studies at the age of six and, showing prodigious talent, was accepted at the Central Music School at eight. A graduate of the
Moscow Conservatory, he won second prize in the prestigious
International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in
1955 and shared first prize in the
1962 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Vladimir Ashkenazy is renowned for his performances of Romantic and Russian composers. He has recorded the complete
24 Preludes and Fugues of
Shostakovich,
Scriabin's sonatas,
Chopin and
Schumann's entire works for piano,
Beethoven's piano sonatas, as well as the piano concertos of
Mozart, Beethoven,
BartΓ³k,
Prokofiev, and
Rachmaninoff. He has also performed and recorded chamber music. He continues to record and perform internationally.
Midway through his pianistic career, Ashkenazy branched into conducting. He has particularly been praised for his recordings of orchestral works by
Sibelius,
Rachmaninoff,
Shostakovich, and
Scriabin.
He was the principal conductor of the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987 to 1994, and was principal conductor of the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998 to 2003. He became musical director of the
NHK Symphony Orchestra in 2004.
Besides these positions, Ashkenazy is Conductor Laureate of the
Philharmonia Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the
Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the
European Union Youth Orchestra, with whom he performs regularly.
An excellent resource covering Ashkenazy's musical philosophy and opinions on many other subjects is his
Beyond Frontiers (New York: Atheneum, 1985), co-authored with his agent
Jasper Parrott.
*Vladimir Ashkenazy is currently President of the
Rachmaninoff Society.
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
*Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Lynn Harrell &
Itzhak Perlman for
Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios (
1988)
*Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for
Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A Minor (
1982)
*Itzhak Perlman & Vladimir Ashkenazy for
Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (
1979)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):
*Vladimir Ashkenazy for
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87 (
2000)
*Vladimir Ashkenazy for
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit; Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte; Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (
1986)
* http://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persa/ashkenazi.html
* http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/thephilharmoniaorchestra/vladimirashkenazy/
*
An interview with Ashkenazy on Shostakovich
