Vladimir Ashkenazy
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Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (sometimes transliterated Ashkenazi) (Russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович А́шкенази, Vlad'imir Dav'idovič Aškenasi) (born July 6, 1937 in Gorky, USSR, now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) is a conductor and pianist. He has been an Icelandic citizen since 1972.
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[edit] Early years
Born in the former USSR to an Ashkenazi Jewish father and a Russian Orthodox mother, Ashkenazy began his studies at the age of six and, showing prodigious talent, was accepted at the Central Music School at eight. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, he won second prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955 and shared first prize in the 1962 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
[edit] Ashkenazy as pianist
Vladimir Ashkenazy is renowned for his performances of Romantic and Russian composers. He has recorded the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues of Shostakovich, Scriabin's sonatas, Rachmaninoff's, Chopin's and Schumann's entire works for piano, Beethoven's piano sonatas, as well as the piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Bartók, Prokofiev. He has also performed and recorded chamber music. He continues to record and perform internationally.
[edit] Ashkenazy as conductor
Midway through his pianistic career, Ashkenazy branched into conducting. He has particularly been praised for his recordings of orchestral works by Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Scriabin.
He was the principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987 to 1994, and was principal conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998 to 2003. He became musical director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in 2004.
Besides these positions, Ashkenazy is Conductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the European Union Youth Orchestra, with which he performs regularly.
Ashkenazy has also appeared in several Christopher Nupen music films, conducting extracts from the composer profiled, including Respighi and Tchaikovsky and performing at the piano.
An excellent resource covering Ashkenazy's musical philosophy and opinions on many other subjects is his Beyond Frontiers (New York: Atheneum, 1985), co-authored with his agent Jasper Parrott.
[edit] Awards and recognitions
- Second Prize, Chopin Piano Competition, Warsaw, 1955.
- First Prize, Queen Elisabeth Music Competition for piano, Brussels, 1956.
- First Prize, Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Moscow, 1962.
- Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Conducting Corps of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award, 2000
- Vladimir Ashkenazy is currently President of the Rachmaninoff Society.
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
- Itzhak Perlman & Vladimir Ashkenazy for Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (1979)
- Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A Minor (1982)
- Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell & Itzhak Perlman for Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios (1988)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):
- Vladimir Ashkenazy for Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit; Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte; Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (1986)
- Vladimir Ashkenazy for Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87 (2000)
[edit] External links
- http://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persa/ashkenazi.html
- http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/thephilharmoniaorchestra/vladimirashkenazy/
- An interview with Ashkenazy on Shostakovich
| Preceded by André Previn |
Principal Conductors, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 1987–1994 |
Succeeded by Daniele Gatti |
| Preceded by Riccardo Chailly |
Principal Conductors, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin 1989–1999 |
Succeeded by Kent Nagano |
| Preceded by Gerd Albrecht |
Principal Conductors, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra 1996–2003 |
Succeeded by Zdenek Macal |
| Preceded by Charles Dutoit |
Music Director, NHK Symphony Orchestra 2004–2007 |
Succeeded by none |
