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

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-45930-0004, Berlin, Gastspiel David und Igor Oistrach

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