Boris Berman (musician) facts for kids

Boris Berman (born April 3, 1948) is a famous Russian pianist and music teacher. He is known for his amazing piano playing and for teaching many students around the world.

Boris Berman's Life Story

Boris Berman was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1948. He studied piano at the famous Moscow Conservatory. His teacher was Lev Oborin, a well-known pianist. Boris Berman played his first big concert in Moscow in 1965.

Early Music Career

Early in his career, Boris Berman joined a special music group. This group played very old music, and it was the only one of its kind in Russia at the time. He played the harpsichord, which is an instrument similar to a piano. It was popular before pianos were invented.

He also worked with modern composers like Alfred Schnittke and Edison Denisov. He was one of the first to play their new music in Russia. He also performed works by other important composers. These included Arnold Schoenberg, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and György Ligeti. He played as a guest soloist with big orchestras. These included the Moscow Philharmonic and the Moscow Chamber orchestras.

Moving to New Countries

In 1973, Boris Berman moved from the Soviet Union to Israel. He continued his music career there. Later, in 1979, he moved to the United States.

Since then, he has taught at several universities. These include Boston University, Brandeis University, and Indiana University. Today, he leads the Piano Department at the important Yale School of Music.

He also started music concert series. He founded the Music Spectrum series in Israel (1975–84). Then he started the Yale Music Spectrum series in the USA (1984–1997). In 2005, he became an Honorary Professor at the Shanghai Conservatory in China. In 2013, he received the same honor from the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen.

Performing Around the World

Boris Berman has played in many concerts and music festivals. He has performed all over the world. He has played with famous musicians like Mischa Maisky and Shlomo Mintz. He has also performed with major orchestras. These include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic.

Besides performing, he also teaches special classes called master classes. In these classes, he helps young pianists improve their skills. He is also often asked to be a judge at piano competitions. These include big events in Leeds (UK), Dublin (Ireland), and Shanghai. He also judges the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel-Aviv.

Notable Music Recordings

Boris Berman has released many recordings of his piano playing. You can find his music on labels like Philips and Deutsche Grammophon. Here are some of his important recordings:

• He recorded two CDs of piano sonatas by Alexander Scriabin.
• His recording of Dmitri Shostakovich's piano works won the Edison Classic Award in the Netherlands.
• He recorded all of the solo piano works by Sergei Prokofiev on nine CDs. He was the first pianist ever to record all of them!
• He also recorded music by Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, and Alfred Schnittke.
• He made a special recording called "Debussy for Children".
• Two of his recordings feature works for "prepared piano" by John Cage. These recordings were named the Top Recording by the BBC Music Magazine.
• His recording of piano quintets by Dmitri Shostakovich and Alfred Schnittke was nominated for a Grammy Award.
• He recorded Scott Joplin's Ragtimes, which are fun, lively piano pieces.
• He also recorded a piece called Sequenza IV by Luciano Berio.
• He recorded Brahms Sonatas with cellist Clive Greensmith. For this recording, he used a special 1867 Bechstein piano.

Books Written by Boris Berman

Besides playing and teaching, Boris Berman has also written books. These books are about piano playing and recording music.

• His book "Notes from the Pianist's Bench" was published in 2000. It shares his thoughts and tips for pianists.
• In 2008, he wrote "Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer". This book helps people understand and play Prokofiev's piano sonatas.
• He also helped create a special bilingual edition of Prokofiev's piano sonatas. This was published in 2011.