Maria Yudina

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Maria Yudina or Mariya Yudina (28 August (O.S.) - September 9, 1899 in Nevel, Russia - November 19, 1970 in Moscow) was a Jewish-born, Russian pianist.

Maria Yudina studied at the Petrograd Conservatory under Leonid Nikolayev. Her classmates included Dmitri Shostakovich and Vladimir Sofronitsky. Though primarily known for her interpretations of Bach and Beethoven, she was a keen champion of contemporary composers including works of her good friend Shostakovich.

Yudina has the distinction of being Stalin's favorite pianist. Legend has it that one night, Stalin heard a performance of the Mozart F major concerto on the radio performed by Yudina and asked for a copy. It was a live broadcast so officials woke up Yudina, drove her to a recording studio where a small orchestra had quickly been assembled, and made her record the concerto in the middle of the night, then presented the recording to Stalin. It is said that he broke out in tears after hearing only the first notes of Yudina's playing. Despite the recognition from Stalin, the pianist remained an uncompromising critic of the Soviet regime until the end of her days, which resulted in her being banned from teaching or even appearing on stage more than once. Her playing was marked by great virtuosity, spirituality, an almost masculine strength, and intellectual rigor. However, her playing was also very individual in style and tone.