Mykhailo Yevsiyovych Bukinik () (1872–1947) was a Ukrainian

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

and

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

. His four concert études for the solo

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

were compulsory works at the prestigious International Cello Competition in

Markneukirchen Markneukirchen () is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany, close to the Czech Republic, Czech border. It lies in the Elster Mountains (part of the Fichtel Mountains), southeast of Plauen, and northeast of Aš (Czech Republic) ...

in May 2005.

Biography

Bukinik was born in 1872, in

Dubno Dubno (, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality located on the Ikva River in Rivne Oblast (oblast, province) of western Ukraine. It serves as the capital city, administrative center of Dubno Raion ...

in the area of

Rivne Rivne ( ; , ) is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast (province), as well as the Rivne Raion (district) within the oblast.

, which is in today's Ukraine (about 400 km west of

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

). Four of his family members, including his brother Isaac (violinist, teacher, music critic) and his two daughters decided that music would be their profession. From 1885 to 1890 Bukinik attended the music school in

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

, where he was also a member of the Society for Russian Music. During these five years, he studied with Alfred von Glehn (who was also the teacher of

Gregor Piatigorsky Gregor Piatigorsky (, ''Grigoriy Pavlovich Pyatigorskiy''; August 6, 1976) was a Russian-born American cello, cellist. Biography Early life Gregor Piatigorsky was born in Dnipro, Ekaterinoslav (now Dnipro, Ukraine) into a Jewish family. As a c ...

) 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 ...

. In his solo performances and concerts as a member of the orchestra, he played together with musicians such as

Sergei Taneyev Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (, ; – ) was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of musical composition, composition, music theorist and author. Life Taneyev was born in Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir, Vladimir Governorate, Russian Empire, to a cultur ...

Nikolai Medtner Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (; – 13 November 1951) was a Russian composer and pianist. After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immediately after his death, he is now becoming recognized as one of the most significant Russian com ...

Konstantin Igumnov Konstantin Nikolayevich Igumnov (March 24, 1948) was a Soviet and Russian pianist and pedagogue. In 1946, he was recognized as the People's Artist of the USSR. Biography Igumnov studied under Nikolai Zverev, and at Moscow Conservatory under A ...

, Alexander Goldenweiser,

Alexander Goedicke Alexander Fyodorovich Goedicke (; 9 July 1957) was a Russian and Soviet composer and pianist. Goedicke was a professor at Moscow Conservatory. With no formal training in composition, he studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory with Galli, Pave ...

and W. Lambowskaja. Among his fellow students were well-known musicians such as

Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...

Alexander Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, scientific transliteration: ''Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin''; also transliterated variously as Skriabin, Skryabin, and (in French) Scriabine. The composer himselused the French spelling "Scriabine" which was a ...

and

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...

. Bukinik finished his studies in 1895. He then went on tour in Russia with a symphony orchestra led by Dimitri Achscharumow. After a brief stay in Berlin, Bukinik came to

Saratov Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...

in 1899, where he remained until 1904 as a teacher at the Mariinsky Institute. At the same time, he met with the famous painter

Victor Borisov-Musatov Victor Elpidiforovich Borisov-Musatov (; – ) was a Russian painter, prominent for his unique Post-Impressionistic style that mixed Symbolism, pure decorative style and realism. Together with Mikhail Vrubel he is often referred as the cr ...

, who became his lifelong friend.

Pavel Kuznetsov Pavel Varfolomevich Kuznetsov (1878–1968) was a painter and graphic artist. Life and career He studied at Saratov at Bogolyubov Art School (1891–1896), then Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1897–1904) and for a y ...

was another painter with whom Bukinik was very close. In 1901, together with Borisov-Musatov, the field doctor and writers Vladimir Stanjukowitsch, and his wife Nadezhda, he founded the so-called ''English Club of Saratov''. In the following two years (1904–1906) Bukinik lived in Germany, France and Switzerland. From 1906, he had many appearances in Moscow. There he was also a cello teacher at the prestigious

Gnessin School of Music The Gnessin State College of Music () and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music () comprise a music school in Moscow.Moisenko, Rena. (1949) ''Realist Music: 25 Soviet Composers,'' London: Meridian Book, Ltd. History Originally known as the Gnessi ...

(now the Gnessin Institute). After the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

in October 1917, the school was temporarily closed. From 1919 to 1922 Bukinik was a professor at the Conservatory of

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

. In 1922 he emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where he worked with a Ukrainian string quartet and also played in a Ukrainian musical theater. In 1944 he published his memoirs; he died in 1947. Bukinik was the first to play Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor in Paris. He was the author of some cello works and edited several works by Russian composers.

Selected works

* ''New Shifting Studies'' * ''Virtuoso Arpeggio Studies''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bukinik, Mikhail Ukrainian classical cellists 20th-century Ukrainian classical composers Ukrainian music educators 1872 births 1947 deaths Moscow Conservatory alumni People from Dubno Ukrainian male classical composers 20th-century male musicians 20th-century cellists