Grigori Yefimovich Zhislin (Russian Григорий Ефимович Жислин; 14 May 1945 in Leningrad – 2 May 2017 in Berlin) was a Russian violinist and pedagogue. He studied with Yuri Yankelevich at the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory () is a higher musical educational institution located in Moscow, Russia. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in musical performance and musical research. Th ...

. At the age of 22, he won the First Prize at the Paganini Competition in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

and the Silver Medal at the

Queen Elizabeth Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition (, ) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1965). It is a competition for classical violinists (sinc ...

. Zhislin's repertoire contains concertos and recitals of all genres, for violin as well as for

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

. As a soloist, Zhislin appeared with the Leningrad/

St Petersburg Philharmonic The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a symphony orchestra based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Their home venue is the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia. History The roots of th ...

Moscow Philharmonic The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953. It is most associated wi ...

, State Symphony Orchestra, RRS (Mailand, Turin), RBC Orchestras (Australian),

Staatskapelle Dresden The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (), or Saxon State Orchestra Dresden, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world, created by order of Maurice, Elector of Saxony in 1548. Under communist East Germany and until 1992 it was called Staatskap ...

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

, Vienna Symphonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Krakow Philharmonic, Stockholm Radio Orchestra. He played under the conductors

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music. At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States. Biography Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, t ...

, Aldo Ceccato, Erik Klass,

Karl Österreicher Karl Österreicher (3 January 1923 – 11 March 1995) was an Austrian conductor and music teacher. Life Born in Rohrbach an der Gölsen, Lower Austria, Austrian studied clarinet as well as conducting with Hans Swarowsky, later also with Alfre ...

Kirill Kondrashin Kirill Petrovich Kondrashin (; – 7 March 1981) was a Soviet and Russian conductor. People's Artist of the USSR (1972). Early life Kondrashin was born in Moscow to a family of orchestral musicians. Having spent many hours at rehearsals, he ma ...

, Dimitri Kitajenko, Alexander Lasarev, Arvid Jansons,

Yuri Temirkanov Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov (; ; 10 December 1938 – 2 November 2023) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, named a People's Artist of the USSR. Early life Born in 1938 in the North Caucasus city of Nalchik, Temirkanov attended the Saint Petersburg ...

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian Conducting, conductor, best known for his interpretations of Gustav Mahler, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Strauss, and Russian composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ...

, Woldemar Nelsson, Sauilus Sondeckis, Tadeusz Strugala, Natan Rachlin, Noeme Jarvi, Vladimir Fedosseyev. Zhislin was invited to the festivals Moscow Stars, Warsaw Autumn, Prague Spring, Fiorentino Maggio, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival and Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. He was a member of the jury in the international violin competitions ''Paganini'' in Genoa, Montreal, ''Henryk Wieniawski'' in Polen, ''Citta di Brescia'', ''David Oistrakh'' in Moscow and ''Yehudi Menuhin'' in England. The musician has worked together with the composers

Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer. Among the most performed and recorded composers of late 20th-century classical music, he is described by musicologist Ivan Moody (composer), Ivan Moody as a ...

Edison Denisov Edison Vasilievich Denisov (, 6 April 1929 – 24 November 1996) was a Russian composer in the so-called " Underground", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division of Soviet music. Biography Denisov was born in Tomsk, Siberia. He studied math ...

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Modernism (music), modernist Holy minimalism, sacred music. She was highly prolific, producing numerous Chamber music, chamber, Orchestra, orch ...

and

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

. In Russia, Zhislin gave the first performance of Penderecki's Violin Concerto; composer and interpreter formed a close relationship; together they recorded all of Penderecki's works for violin and viola. In 1983, following the composer's request, Zhislin began playing the viola in order to give the first performance of Penderecki's Viola Concerto. Penderecki dedicated his ''Cadenza per Viola Sola'' to Zhislin. On April 21, 1984,

himself conducted the premiere of his Concerto for Viola in Leningrad with Grigori Zhislin as soloist. Zhislin also premiered the ''Cadenza per Viola Sola'' on September 10, 1984, at the country home of Penderecki in Luslawicw, Poland. Zhislin was professor of violin and viola at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

in London and taught as professor at the Hochschule für Musik Wuerzburg, Germany until his death. He was visiting professor in Finland, Norway and Poland. In addition, he gave master classes in Germany, Croatia, the USA, Poland, Italy, France and Spain. Among his internationally known students are

Ilya Grubert Ilya Haimovich Grubert (, ; born 13 May 1954 in Riga) is a classical violinist and professor. Biography Ilya Grubert began his violin studies at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School. He later studied at the Moscow Central Music School and the Mo ...

, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Nicolas Koeckert, Daniel Hope, Sergey Khatchatrian, and his son, Yuri Zhislin. Yuri Zhislin was a Violin and Viola Professor at the

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhislin, Grigori 1945 births 2017 deaths Russian classical violinists Russian male classical violinists Russian classical violists Moscow Conservatory alumni Academics of the Royal College of Music Musicians from Saint Petersburg