Turovsky, Yuli

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Turovsky, Yuli

Turovsky, Yuli, Russian-born Canadian cellist, conductor, and teacher; b. Moscow, June 7, 1939. He began training in cello at the age of 7, and after studies at the Moscow Central Music School (1946-57), he pursued training with Galina Kozolupova at the Moscow Cons. (diploma, 1962; Ph.D., 1969). He was principal cellist in the Moscow Chamber Orch., conductor of a chamber orch. at the Gnesin Coll. of Music in Moscow, and a teacher at the Moscow Central Music School. In 1969 he won the U.S.S.R. Cello Competition and in 1970 took 2ndprize in the Prague Spring Competition. In 1976 he organized the Borodin Trio, with which he toured widely. In 1977 he settled in Canada and in 1980 became a naturalized Canadian citizen. In 1983 he became founder and artistic director of I Musici de Montréal, a string orch. he conducted in a vast repertoire at home and abroad. He also taught at the Montreal Cons. (1977-85) and the Univ. of Montreal (from 1981). His wife, Eleonora Turovsky (b. Moscow, Sept. 23, 1939), is a violinist and teacher. She was educated at the Moscow Central Music School (1956-58) and the Moscow Cons (diploma, 1963; Ph.D., 1966). In 1977 she went to Canada with her husband and became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1980. From 1978 to 1990 she played in the Montreal Sym. Orch. She was also founding concertmaster of I Musici de Montreal from 1983.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire