Vera Gornostaeva: biography of an outstanding pianist

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The fate of one of the greatest Russian pianists, Vera Vasilievna Gornostaeva, was predetermined from birth. Born on International Music Day, she devoted her whole life to this beautiful art form. Today, when Vera Vasilievna is no longer alive, I want to once again recall her biography.

Childhood and youth

Vera Gornostaeva was born in Moscow on October 1, 1929 in the family of a pianist and engineer-economist. When the girl was 7 years old, her parents sent her to a music school, opened on the basis of the Moscow Conservatory. The girl's teacher was E. Nikolaeva. After graduating (in 1947) from a music school, young Vera entered the Moscow Conservatory in the class of the outstanding pianist Heinrich Neuhaus. The student was so impressed by the talent of her teacher that he always spoke of her as a "unique treasure." After graduating from the conservatory, Vera Vasilievna entered graduate school, where she studied from 1952 to 1955.

Career

The famous pianist preferred pedagogical activity to concert activity. Her first place of work was the Children's Music School, located in the Sverdlovsk district of the capital. Here she isworked for a year after graduating from the conservatory (from 1952 to 1953). This was followed by teaching activities at the Musical and Pedagogical Institute. Gnesins, where Vera Vasilievna Gornostaeva taught students how to play the piano for five years.

Already in those days, her colleagues noted that the young woman has a broad outlook, allowing her to see the prospect of developing talent in each individual student. She was predicted to be one of the best music teachers in the country, and she justified this expectation. For more than 60 years of teaching, the woman has trained many talented pianists, including Marat Gubaidullin, Ivo Pogorelich, Alexander Slobodyanik, Pavel Egorov, Irina Chukovskaya, etc.

In 1959, Vera Gornostaeva, whose biography is discussed in this publication, came to work at the Department of Special Piano at her alma mater - the Moscow Conservatory. In this educational institution, besides her, her mother once also studied. From this moment until the end of her life, the pedagogical activity of the pianist will take place within the walls of this educational institution. In 1963, Vera Vasilievna became her assistant professor, and after another 6 years (in 1969) she became a professor.

National recognition

Gornostaeva has traveled to many countries of the world with her master classes, and everywhere they were held with great success. Her name was well known in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, France, USA, Italy. In Japan, piano lessons were even broadcast on the centr altelevision, and a book was written about her.

Gornostaeva's teaching methods were so progressive that the woman was offered a job in the world's best music universities. But Vera Vasilievna categorically refused to leave the educational institution that had become her home. She declared that she would never leave the conservatory, along the corridors of which such great Russian composers as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Scriabin walked.

Concert, television and publishing activities

In 1953 Gornostaeva's first big performance took place in the concert hall of the Moscow Conservatory. After 2 years, Vera Vasilievna was hired as a soloist of the Mosconcert. In 1956, the talented pianist won the 2nd Prize at the International Competition held in Prague. Since 1988, Gornostaeva has been a soloist of the Moscow Academic Philharmonic. In the same year, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.

In the Soviet Union, Vera Vasilievna Gornostaeva was known not only as a pianist and teacher, but also as a TV presenter. She hosted the program "Open Piano", dedicated to classical music. In it, a woman played classical works and told the audience about composers. In addition, Gornostaeva owns many publications about famous musicians: S. Richter, Yu. Bashmet, M. Pletnev, as well as her favorite teacher G. Neuhaus. In 1991, she published a book titled 2 Hours After the Concert.

Private life

FaithGornostaeva was married to the physicist Vadim Knorre (son of the famous Soviet scientist and writer Georgy Knorre). Married to him in 1953, she had a daughter, Ksenia, who followed in her mother's footsteps and became a famous pianist. Vera Vasilievna has two adult grandchildren: Lika Kremer (famous actress and TV presenter) and Lukas Geniušas (musician).

Last months of life and death

In October 2014, the Moscow Conservatory hosted a solemn parade-festival "Vera Relay", dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Gornostaeva. The famous pianist was congratulated on her anniversary by her famous students. The rector of the conservatory, A. Sokolov, read telegrams addressed to her from Prime Minister D. Medvedev and Moscow Mayor S. Sobyanin. Vera Gornostaeva shone on stage and showed with her whole appearance that she was ready to continue to work fruitfully, but on January 19, 2015 she died. Ksenia Knorre told reporters about this the next day.

The famous pianist died in the intensive care unit of a Moscow clinic, where she was taken 3 weeks before her death. Before that, she felt well, was engaged in social and teaching activities. The cause of death of Vera Gornostaeva was not officially announced anywhere. An outstanding pianist and teacher was buried in Moscow at the Danilovsky cemetery.