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Youri Egorov. Photo by Eric Dix
Youri Egorov. Photo by Eric Dix

Youri Egorov (May 28, 1954 – April 15, 1988) was a Soviet classical pianist. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)

Contents

Early years

Born in Kazan, USSR, Youri Egorov studied music at the Kazan Conservatory from the age of 6 until age 17. Kazan (Каза́нь Казан tt Qazan) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 One of his early teachers was Irina Dubinina, a former pupil of Yakov Zak. Yakov Izrailevich Zak (Яків Ізраїлович Зак (Яков Израилевич Зак Jiakov Israilevič Sak; Odessa, - Moscow, June

At the age of 17, in 1971, Egorov took 4th Prize in Paris at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. He next studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Yakov Zak himself. The Moscow Conservatory (Московская Государственная Консерватория им Yakov Izrailevich Zak (Яків Ізраїлович Зак (Яков Израилевич Зак Jiakov Israilevič Sak; Odessa, - Moscow, June Egorov remained at the Moscow Conservatory for six years. In 1974, Egorov won the Bronze Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The International Tchaikovsky Competition is one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of In 1975, he was awarded the 3rd Prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition Of Belgium. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, a founding member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (1957 has been since its foundation considered the world

Defection and Career in the West

Feeling constrained by the Soviet system, Egorov defected from the Soviet Union in 1976 while on a concert tour in Rome, Italy. In Politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

In 1977 Egorov participated in the Van Cliburn Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth Texas. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. He became an audience favorite. When he was not chosen as a finalist, some disappointed and angry listeners formed a committee led by American impresario Maxim Gershunoff, to raise money for Egorov equal to the Van Cliburn top prize of $10,000. The South African Steven DeGroote took the first place award that year. Steven DeGroote (1953 – 1989 was a South African classical Pianist. Gershunoff as Egorov's American manager presented his New York recital debut in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on January 23, 1978. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Three months later to the day, he appeared in Chicago, Illinois and a critic there dubbed his performance “the debut of the decade. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. ” In July, 1978, Musical America Magazine selected Youri Egorov as their "Musician of the Month". He made his Carnegie Hall debut on December 16, 1978 once again under the aegis of Gershunoff. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east The concert was recorded live. Writing for The New York Times, Harold C. Schonberg said Egorov played ". Harold Charles Schonberg (November 29 1915 - July 26 2003 was an American Music critic and Journalist, most notably for The New York Times . . in a free, romantic style, and his approach is quite different from that of so many competition winners. "

In August 1979, two of Egorov's albums appeared on Billboard Magazine's Best-Selling Classical LP chart. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Throughout the 1980s Egorov played primarily in Europe. His last American appearance was in Florida in 1986. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)

Egorov was featured in the book "Great Contemporary Pianists Speak for Themselves" compiled by Elyse Mach. In it, he spoke candidly on the topics of rehearsal, pre-concert nervousness, artistic restrictions in Russia, and homosexuality. Sviatoslav Richter, Dinu Lipatti, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Vladimir Horowitz and Glenn Gould are among the pianists Youri Egorov cited as having influenced him. Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter (Святосла́в Теофи́лович Рихтер Svjatoslav Teofilovič Rikhter) ( &ndash August 1, 1997) was Dinu Lipatti ( March 19 1917, Bucharest &ndash December 2 1950, Geneva) was a Romanian classical Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli ( January 5, 1920 – June 12, 1995) was an Italian classical Pianist. Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович Glenn Herbert Gould At a young age he reportedly behaved differently from typical children at the piano he would strike single notes and listen to their long decay

Death and legacy

Egorov died at his home in Amsterdam from complications of AIDS in 1988. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west He was 33 years old. He had made 14 recordings at the time of his death and several more were awaiting release.

Parallels have been drawn between the playing styles of Youri Egorov and Dinu Lipatti. Additionally, both men gave their final concert performances at the age of 33, each knowing at the time that he was afflicted with a fatal illness and had but months to live.

In 1989 Egorov was the subject of a VPRO Television documentary, "Youri Egorov 1954 - 1988" by Eline Flipse. The VPRO (originally an acronym for Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep, or "Liberal Protestant Radio Broadcasting Company" was established in the Netherlands The program won the special prize of the jury at the BANFF-televisiefestival in Canada and was nominated in 1990 for the Prix Italia.

Egorov's posthumously released CD, "Legacy 2: Youri Egorov", received the "Perfect Five-Star Rating" from CD Review Magazine.

Selected discography

References

External links

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