Bella Davidovich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bella Davidovich
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 16, 1928 |
| Nationality | Soviet/American |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Pianist |
| Years active | 1939-Present |
Bella Davidovich (born July 16, 1928) is a famous pianist from the Soviet Union and later the United States. She is known for her amazing talent and long career playing the piano.
Biography
Early Life and Training
Bella Davidovich was born in Baku, which is now in Azerbaijan. She came from a family of musicians, so music was a big part of her life from the start. She began learning to play the piano when she was just six years old.
Only three years later, when she was nine, she performed as a soloist with an orchestra. This means she played a special part by herself, with the orchestra playing along. She performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, which is a very difficult piece!
In 1939, she moved to Moscow to continue her music studies. When she was 18, she joined the Moscow Conservatory. This is a very famous music school. There, she studied with two great teachers, Konstantin Igumnov and Yakov Flier.
Career Highlights
In 1949, Bella Davidovich won first prize at the IV International Chopin Piano Competition. She shared the prize with another talented pianist, Halina Czerny-Stefańska. This big win helped her start a successful career.
She became very popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. She played with many important Russian conductors. She also performed as a soloist with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra for 28 years in a row! That's a lot of concerts!
Besides performing, she also taught music. She taught at the Moscow Conservatory for sixteen years. She also taught at the Juilliard School, a famous music school in New York.
Bella Davidovich was married to a violinist named Julian Sitkovetsky. Their son, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, also became a famous violinist and conductor.
Moving to America
In 1978, Bella Davidovich moved to the United States. She later became an American citizen. Since 1982, she has taught at the Juilliard School in New York City.
Later, when the Soviet Union started to change with a new policy called perestroika, Bella Davidovich was invited back to her home country. She was the first Soviet musician who had left the country to be officially invited back to perform.
She played many concerts, including piano concertos and a recital with her son, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, who played the violin. She also played chamber music with the Borodin String Quartet. All her concerts were sold out, showing how much people loved her music!
