Victor Merzhanov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victor Merzhanov
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Victor Merzhanov at Moscow Conservatory (2010)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Victor Karpovich Merzhanov |
| Born | 15 August 1919 Tambov, Russia |
| Died | 20 December 2012 (aged 93) Moscow, Russia |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, Pedagogue |
| Instruments | Piano |
Victor Karpovich Merzhanov (Russian: Ви́ктор Ка́рпович Мержа́нов) was a very famous Russian pianist. He was born on August 15, 1919, and passed away on December 20, 2012. He was given the high honor of "People's Artist of the USSR" in 1990. This title recognized his amazing talent and contributions to music.
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Victor Merzhanov: A Piano Master
Victor Merzhanov was born in a city called Tambov in Russia. He started his music journey at the Tambov Musical College. There, he learned from his teachers, Solomon Starikov and Alexander Poltoratsky.
Later, from 1936 to 1941, he went to the famous Moscow Conservatory. He studied piano with Samuil Feinberg and organ with Alexander Goedicke. He was a brilliant student and finished his studies with top honors.
In 1945, Victor Merzhanov became known around the world. He won first prize at the Third All-Soviet-Union Piano Competition. He shared this top award with another great pianist, Sviatoslav Richter. In 1949, he also placed tenth at a big piano competition in Warsaw, Poland.
From 1946, Merzhanov became a main performer for the Moscow Philharmony. This meant he played many concerts for them.
A Great Teacher and Mentor
Victor Merzhanov was not just a performer; he was also a wonderful teacher. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1947 until he passed away. Many of his students became famous pianists themselves.
Some of his students won prizes in international music competitions. These include Vladimir Bunin, Oleg Volkov, Yuri Didenko, Hideyo Harada, Tatiana Shebanova, and many others. His name is even written on a special marble wall at the Moscow Conservatory. This is a huge honor, shared with other legendary musicians like Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff. He also taught at the Tambov Rachmaninov Institute.
Performing Around the World
Victor Merzhanov had a very long career on stage, lasting 60 years! During this time, he played more than 2,000 concerts. He performed in Russia, Europe, the United States, China, and many other countries.
He played with many famous conductors. Some of these included Lorin Maazel, Kurt Sanderling, Kirill Kondrashin, and Yevgeny Svetlanov. His music was recorded on albums, first in the Soviet Union and later in other countries like the U.S. and Japan.
His recordings show how many different kinds of music he played. He performed pieces from the Baroque period, like music by Bach. He also played works by Beethoven. He even played modern music by composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Helping New Music and Musicians
From the very start of his career, Victor Merzhanov loved to support new music. He was chosen by the famous composer Prokofiev to play his Sixth Sonata for the very first time.
He was also a judge in more than 40 international music competitions. These included the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. He even started his own competition, the Rachmaninov Competition.
Besides judging, Merzhanov was the artistic director for the Rachmaninov Piano Courses. He also helped out at the Rachmaninov Museum in Ivanovka, near Tambov.
Victor Merzhanov passed away in Moscow on December 20, 2012. He is buried in the famous Novodevichy Cemetery.
