Roman Matsov facts for kids

Roman Matsov (born April 27, 1917, in Petrograd, died August 24, 2001, in Tallinn) was a very talented musician. He was a violinist, a pianist, and a conductor. He came from both Soviet and Estonian backgrounds.

Early Life and Musical Training

Roman Matsov loved music from a young age. He took special summer classes in Berlin. There he learned violin from Georg Kulenkampff and piano from Walter Gieseking. In 1940, he finished his studies at the Tallinn Conservatory. He earned degrees in both violin and piano.

Soon after, he joined the Leningrad Conservatory. At the same time, he was also a lead musician, called a Konzertmeister, for several Estonian orchestras.

A Conductor's Journey

When World War II started, Roman Matsov joined the army. He became a lieutenant but was badly hurt in 1941. After recovering, he started a new path in music. In 1943, he conducted an orchestra for the very first time. This happened in Yaroslav with an Estonian arts group.

He quickly showed his skill as a conductor. In 1946, he won his first conducting award. Then, in 1948, he won a prize at the important All-Union Conductors Competition. By 1950, he was a regular and lead conductor for the Estonia Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra.

Roman Matsov was known for introducing new music. He performed many works by Estonian composers. He also brought music by famous international composers like Stravinsky and Hindemith to audiences. His career grew very quickly.

During the war, his family moved to Australia. His sister there only found out he was alive when she saw news about one of his concerts! Later in his career, some people criticized him for performing music by Mahler.

Friendship with Shostakovich

Roman Matsov became friends with the famous composer Dmitri Shostakovich. They worked together to make sure Shostakovich's music was preserved. Even though Matsov was a great musician, he was not allowed to travel outside the country. Official music groups also sometimes ignored him.

Years after his death, in 2004, a music magazine called Gramophone shared an interesting fact. Thousands of Shostakovich's original music papers and recordings were still kept in Roman Matsov's apartment in Estonia. People were looking for a new home for this important collection.

Awards and Recognition

Roman Matsov received many honors for his musical talent and service.

• Order of the Red Star (1945)
• Honored Artist of the Estonian SSR (1954)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1956)
• People's Artist of the Estonian SSR (1967)
• Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class (1985)
• Order of the White Star, 3rd class (2001)

Recordings

• LP Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Roman Matsov