Elena Kuschnerova

Elena Kuschnerova (Russian: Еле́на Ефи́мовна Кушнеро́ва, tr. Yelena Yefimovna Kushnerova, born 6 January 1959 in Moscow) is a Russian-born classical pianist.

Elena Kuschnerova
Kuschnerova in 2014
Background information
Born (1959-01-06) January 6, 1959
Moscow, Russia
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Pianist
InstrumentsPiano

Biography

Elena Kuschnerova was born into a musical family in Moscow. She began her piano education at the age of five with her mother. At seven, she became a student of Tatyana Kestner at the Moscow Central Music School. At the age of nine, Kuschnerova made her first appearance with orchestra conducted by Aram Khachaturian playing Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, which was recorded by Radio Moscow. Upon graduation she studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Sergei Dorensky. After receiving her diploma (with honors) in 1982, she went on tour in the Soviet Union for the next eight years. Foreign appearances and participation in international competitions were not allowed by Soviet authorities.[1][2]

In 1992 Kuschnerova emigrated to Germany and started a new career there. In the following years, she earned international acclaim giving concerts in Western Europe, USA and Japan.[1][2] As a piano professor she taught master classes in Germany, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA. Since 2006 she has been guest professor at the Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima. Kuschnerova lives nowadays in Baden-Baden and in New York.

Music

Several composers have written piano works for Kuschnerova, who also premiered most of them.

  • During her time as a student in Moscow, Kuschnerova was influenced by the composer Alexander Lokshin.[3] In 1982 he dedicated a piano cycle "Prelude and Theme with Variations" to her. She premiered it the same year;[4]
  • Siegfried Matthus, "Die Sehnsucht nach der verlorenen Melodie" ("Longing for the lost tune"), piano concerto. First performance by Elena Kuschnerova 2002 in Dresden with Dresden Philharmonic orchestra, conductor Marek Janowski;[5]
  • Mikhail Kollontay, piano concerto op. 45. First performance by Elena Kuschnerova 2011 in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, conductor Freddy Cadena;[6]
  • Mikhail Kollontay, Seven Romantic Ballads, op. 2bis.[7]

Harold Schonberg, the former chief music critic for The New York Times, wrote about Kuschnerova's "Scriabin - 12 Études, Op. 8, 24 Preludes, Op. 11, 2 Poèmes, Op. 32" CD in the American Record Guide: "These are the best recorded performances I am familiar with".[8]

Jürgen Otten names Kuschnerova in Die großen Pianisten der Gegenwart (The Great Pianists of Modern Times) together with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Lilya Zilberstein as the three most notable Russian female pianists. He acknowledges her "flawless technique" and "enormous tonal wisardry" and calls her "pianist par excellence".[1]

Kuschnerova is a Steinway Artist since 2001.[9]

Selected recordings
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References
  1. Jürgen Otten. Die großen Pianisten der Gegenwart. Henschel Verlag, Berlin/Leipzig 2009, pp. 191, 198, 259, ISBN 978-3-89487-530-5 (in German)
  2. Ingo Harden, Gregor Willmes. Pianisten Profile. 600 Interpreten: ihre Biografie, ihr Stil, ihre Aufnahmen. Bärenreiter, 2008, p. 407, ISBN 978-3-76181-616-5 (in German)
  3. Elena Kuschnerova. About Lokshin. lokshin.org
  4. Alexander Lazarevich Lokshin. List of compositions. lokshin.org
  5. Siegfried Matthus, Die Sehnsucht nach der verlorenen Melodie. Breitkopf & Härtel, 2002
  6. Mikhail Kollontay, Second Concerto for piano and full symphony orchestra. kollontay.org
  7. Mikhail Kollontay, Seven Romantic Ballades for piano. kollontay.org
  8. Harold Schonberg's review on Elena Kuschnerova's Scriabin CD. American Record Guide, September/October 2000
  9. Steinway Artists, Elena Kuschnerova
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