Igumnov Konstantin

Igumnov, Konstantin (1873-1948), Russian pianist. Born on April 19 (May 1) 1873 Lebedyan in the Tambov province, in a merchant family. Since 1887, along with training in the First Moscow Classical High School, took private piano lessons at the famous pedagogue N. Zvereva (along with Rachmaninoff and Scriabin). In 1888 joined a volunteer at the Moscow Conservatory in the class AI Siloti, then PA Pabst, while engaged in polyphony by Sergei Taneyev, tried to force composition. In 1892 he entered the Moscow University - first in the Law, then on the History and Philology. He graduated from the conservatory in 1894 with a gold medal and at the same time made his debut as a soloist. Participated in 1895 in the International Piano Competition Rubinstein in Berlin, where he earned honorable mention. In the future, constantly toured, mainly in Moscow, gave private piano lessons, was one of the most popular in Moscow teachers. In 1898 accepted an invitation to become a teacher of the Tiflis branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, in 1899 became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, continuing to act in Russia and abroad. According to contemporaries, pianism Igumnova avoided extremes: for him were typical of a slightly muted dynamics, soft touch, melodious, velvety sound, noble interpretation.

After the October Revolution of 1917 Igumnov became part of the Music Council of the People's Commissariat for Education (Concert subdivision). With his participation is the reform of music education, in particular, the conservatory had been established courses of aesthetics, cultural history, literary history, we introduce a class chamber ensemble. Since 1919 - permanent member of the teaching of artistic committee Conservatory; the spring of 1924 he was elected for five years director. Among students Igumnova - YV Flier, LN Oborin, MI Greenberg, J. I. Milstein, OD Boshnyakovich, NL Starkman, B. M. Davidovich. His concert repertoire of the pianist of the 1930's - a series of monographic concerts: Beethoven, . Sheet, . Chopin, . Tchaikovsky, . Rachmaninov (Igumnov - Russia's first Executive "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", . 1939), . Medtner, . Taneyev, especially Igumnov often played as a soloist and ensemble works by Tchaikovsky, . becoming their consummate interpreter,
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The last concert given in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory on Dec. 3, 1947. Igumnov died in Moscow on 24 March 1948.