Sofronitzky, Vladimir (Vladimirovich)

views updated

Sofronitzky, Vladimir (Vladimirovich)

Sofronitzky, Vladimir (Vladimirovich), esteemed Russian pianist and teacher; b. St. Petersburg, May 8, 1901; d. Moscow, Aug. 29, 1961. He studied with A. Lebedeva-Geshevich and A. Mikhailovsky in Warsaw, where he began his career while still a child; completed his training with Nikolayev at the Petrograd Cons. (graduated, 1921). He then toured throughout Europe; also was a prof. at the Leningrad Cons. (1936–42) and the Moscow Cons. (1942–61). He was greatly praised for his interpretations of Chopin and Scriabin, and his performances of Liszt, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff were also notable.

Bibliography

V. Delson, V. S.(Moscow, 1959); Ya. Milstein, ed., Vospominaniya o Sofronitskom (Reminiscences of S.; Moscow, 1970).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire