Igor Davidovich Oistrakh (russian: И́горь Дави́дович О́йстрах; uk, Ігор Давидович Ойстрах 27 April 1931 – 14 August 2021
) was a Soviet and Russian violinist. He was described by ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
'' as "noted for his lean, modernist interpretations".
Life and career
Oistrakh was born in
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
,
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, the son of Tamara Rotareva and the violinist
David Oistrakh
David Fyodorovich Oistrakh (; – 24 October 1974), was a Soviet classical violinist, violist and conductor.
Oistrakh collaborated with major orchestras and musicians from many parts of the world and was the dedicatee of numerous violin ...
.
He began studying violin with Valeria Merenbloom at age 6,
though his main teacher was his father.
[ ] In 1943, the 12-year-old Oistrakh enrolled in the Central Music School, Moscow, studying with
Pyotr Stolyarsky
Pyotr Solomonovich Stolyarsky (russian: Пётр Соломонович Столярский, uk, Петро Соломонович Столярський), (29 April 1944) was a Soviet violinist and eminent pedagogue, honored as People's A ...
who had taught both his father and
Nathan Milstein
Nathan Mironovich Milstein ( – December 21, 1992) was a Russian-born American virtuoso violinist.
Widely considered one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, Milstein was known for his interpretations of Bach's solo violin works and ...
.
He made his concert debut in 1948;
the next year he won the International Violin Competition in Budapest and enrolled in the
Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
He won the
Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition
The International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition ( Polish: ''Międzynarodowy Konkurs Skrzypcowy im. Henryka Wieniawskiego'') is a competition for violinists up to age 30 that takes place every five years in Poznań, Poland, in honor of the v ...
in 1952 and graduated from Moscow Conservatory in 1955.
He then joined the faculty of the Conservatory in 1958, becoming a lecturer in 1965. Beginning in 1996, Oistrakh held the post of Professor of the
Royal Conservatory in Brussels.
Oistrakh appeared frequently internationally, both as a soloist and in joint recitals with his father, or with his father conducting.
His wife Natalya Zertsalova is a pianist and has performed with him.
Their son, Valery, is an active violist.
On 14 August 2021, Oistrakh died at age 90; however, media generally reported this on 1 September 2021.
Oistrakh was overshadowed by the fame of his father.
The
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
42516 Oistrach was named in his and his father's honour.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oistrakh, Igor
1931 births
2021 deaths
Ukrainian classical violinists
Musicians from Odesa
Soviet classical violinists
20th-century classical violinists
Male classical violinists
Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition prize-winners
Moscow Conservatory alumni
Academic staff of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels
Jewish classical violinists
21st-century classical violinists
20th-century male musicians
21st-century male musicians
Jewish Ukrainian musicians
Odesa Jews
Russian classical violinists
Russian classical musicians
Academic staff of Moscow Conservatory
Russian Jews
Soviet Jews
Classical violists
20th-century violists
21st-century violists