Isaac Mikhnovsky, Piano

Biography

Isaac Mikhnovsky (1914 - 1978)

Isaac Mikhnovsky was born in Smolensk, Russia.  He studied at the Moscow Conservatory, first with Leonid Oborin
and then with the famous pianist and pedagogue Konstantin Igumnov.  He graduated from the Conservatory with
honors in 1936.  Two years later, in
1938, Mikhnovsky won the important All-Soviet Piano Competition (Sergei
Prokofiev was a jury member).   This
triumph opened doors to many concert halls. 
Mikhnovsky performed recitals and orchestral concerts in major cities of
the USSR.  In addition to the standard
piano repertory of that time (Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Tchaikovsky,
Scriabin, Rachmaninov), Mikhnovsky also played a large number of piano
transcriptions and wrote his own arrangements of Russian orchestral music.

Mikhnovsky taught at the Moscow Conservatory and, later, the
Gnessin Institute (now, Music Academy). 
His career as a concert pianist lasted into the 1960s.  Mikhnovsky died in Moscow in 1978.

Our library has two samples of his work: Chopin's Barcarolle
in F sharp Major, and The Maiden's Wish, a Chopin song transcribed by Liszt (both recorded in 1938). 
Despite the technical imperfections of the old 78 rpm recordings, they
give the listener a glimpse of the musicianship of this fine pianist.