Sad news: ‘Greatest living pianist’ loses his wife

We hear from Russian musicians that the fabled pianist Grigory Sokolov is in mourning for the death of his wife. Revered by his peers, the despair of promoters, Sokolov, 63, last performed in August and has no concerts presently scheduled.

Little is known of his domestic circumstances except that his wife was also his cousin’s widow.

We send him our condolences.

UPDATE

We have been sent this account of the Sokolov family connections:

Grigory Sokolov’s grandfather was Hirsh Sokolov.

His elder son was Ilya Sokolov, who married Sofia Zviagina and their son was Alexander Sokolov (1932-1996).

His younger son was Lipman Sokolov, who married Galina Zelenetzkaya and their son is the famous pianist Grigory Sokolov, born in 1950.

Thus Grigory and Alexander are cousins.

Alexander Sokolov married Inna Shtutin (daughter of Yakov Shtutin and his wife Ida Richterman) and their daughter Marina Sokolov was born in 1959.

Alexander Sokolov died in 1996 and his widow Inna married much later the famous pianist Grigory Sokolov, her late husband’s cousin.

You can find all the information about the family trees in internet here:

Grandfather Hirsh Sokolov: http://www.rogev.com/berner/124.htm

His first son Ilya: http://www.rogev.com/berner/122.htm

His second son Lipman: http://www.rogev.com/berner/125.htm

Grandson Alexander Sokolov, son of Ilya: http://www.rogev.com/berner/53.htm

Grandson Grigory Sokolov, son of Lipman: http://www.rogev.com/berner/130.htm

Inna Sokolov, neé Shtutin: http://www.rogev.com/berner/54.htm