Bortkiewicz, Sergei (Eduardovich)

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Bortkiewicz, Sergei (Eduardovich)

Bortkiewicz, Sergei (Eduardovich) , Russian pianist and composer; b. Kharkov, Feb. 28, 1877; d. Vienna, Oct. 25, 1952. He was a pupil of Liadov at the St. Petersburg Cons. (1896–99), and later studied with Jadassohn in Leipzig (1900–02). He made his debut as a pianist in Munich in 1902, and subsequently made concert tours of Germany, Australia, Hungary, France, and Russia. From 1904 to 1914 he lived in Berlin, and taught at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Cons.; then returned to Russia; was in Vienna from 1920 to 1929, in Berlin from 1929 to 1934, and again in Vienna from 1934. His compositions include an opera, Acrobats, 2 syms., Austrian Suite and Yugoslav Suite for Orch., 4 piano concertos, Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, piano pieces, and songs. He was the author of the book Die seltsame Liebe Peter Tschaikowskys unà der Nadezhda von Meek (1938).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire