Viktor Tretiakov

Viktor Tretiakov, the Finnish music journalist Hannu Heikinheimo, and the Russian pianistGrigory Sokolovin 1967.

Viktor Viktorovich Tretiakov(‹See Tfd›Russian:Ви́ктор Ви́кторович Третьяко́в;born 17 October 1946) is a Russianviolinistand conductor.Other spellings of his name are Victor, Tretyakov and Tretjakov.

Biography

The son of a musician who played in the military band inSiberiancity ofKrasnoyarsk,he showed an extraordinary musical talent very early, and started to play violin at the age of seven. He came to Moscow in 1954 and first studied in the junior division of theMoscow Conservatory Music College,and in 1956 enteredYuri Yankelevich's class at the Moscow Central Music School, later studying with him in theMoscow Conservatoire.

In 1966, at age 19, he won first prize in the ThirdInternational Tchaikovsky Competitionand was invited to appear on several international concert tours—something that had become much easier after the pioneering visits outside theSoviet Unionby artists such asSviatoslav Richter,Emil Gilels,Mstislav RostropovichandDavid Oistrakh.The influence of the last could be noticed in Tretyakov's interpretations and also in his choice of the repertoire; Tretyakov favored the great romantic violin concertos such as those byBrahms,Mendelssohn,Tchaikovsky,Sibeliusand music ofProkofievandShostakovich.His unique style is supported by impeccable technique and profound musical insight with expressively articulatephrasing.

Named aPeople's Artist of the USSRin 1987,Tretyakov was granted the Russian Prize for the encouragement of achievements in art and literature known as "Triumph". He is laureate of the Shostakovich Prize, awarded by theYuri BashmetInternational Charitable Foundation, and theGlinka State Prize of the RSFSR(1981) (other recipients include theBorodin Quartetand composerValery Gavrilin). In 2001, he was awarded the Order of Service to the Fatherland by PresidentVladimir Putin.

Performing

Since winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966, Tretyakov has performed with almost every major orchestra in the world, including the Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, St. Petersburg, London, Los Angeles and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, theLondon Symphony Orchestra,the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the Royal Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris, theDresden Staatskapelle,the Bamberg SO, the NDR Hamburg, the WDR Cologne, the NHK Symphony, the Kirov Orchestra, theAmsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra,theBavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,the Vienna Symphony, the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and many others. He has worked with conductors includingRostropovich,Ormandy,Temirkanov,Alekseev, Jochum, Krips,Gergiev,Fedoseyev, Maazel, Kempe, Jansons, Järvi, Levine, Mehta, von Dohnanyi, Penderecki, Previn, and Kondrashin. He plays a 1772 Nicolo Gagliano violin.

Teaching

For many years, Tretyakov has taught at the Moscow State Conservatory. In 1996, he also began to teach in Cologne, Germany. From 1986 to 1994, he was the jury president of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Additionally, he has served as a jury member of competitions in Brussels, Hanover, Sendai, Moscow, Helsinki, Zagreb and many others. Notable students of his include Roman Kim, Ilya Kaler, Natalia Likhopoi, Dmitri Berlinsky, Evgeny Bushkov, Sergei Stadler and Daniel Austrich.

Chamber music

An active chamber musician, Tretyakov has performed together with Mstislav Rostropovich, Svyatoslav Richter, the Borodin Quartet, Oleg Kagan, David Geringas,Evgeny Kissinand Elisabeth Leonskaja. Together with Vassily Lobanov,Yuri Bashmetand Natalia Gutman, he has formed a piano quartet which performs regularly, including in concerts in Moscow, Berlin, Munich,Istanbul,Paris,Athens,Lisbonand Copenhagen.