Death of a Russian piano legend, 75
RIPThe death has been reported of Alexander Mndoyants, one of Moscow’s most respected piano teachers.
A finalist in the 1977 Van Cliburn Competition – alongside Sasha Toradze, Michel Dalberto and the shortlived winner Steven De Groote – Mndoyan joined the Moscow Conservatory as a junior teacher in 1979 and had to wait until 2004 before being made full professor.
He disliked training students for competitions, encouraging them to follow his own unflashy, introspective example.
His son Nikita Mndoyants won the 2016 Cleveland International Piano Competition.
A great musician and a lovely man whose son carries on his legacy with bravura.
Very sad news !
In 2007, his son Nikita won the first prize at the Paderewski International Piano Competition. The second prize was then won by Yulianna Avdeeva.
Heartfelt condolences to our dear friend Nikita and all his family
A transcendant performance of a truly self effacing pianist. A big loss to the musical world who know him by his recordings as he rarely left Russia. He was a pupil of Bella Davidovich, who is still alive well into her ’90’s. She was one of the greats of her period also not well known outside of Russia, but was an Igumnmov pupil who studied with Siloti, making Mndoyants a musical great-great-grandchild of Franz Liszt. It is a huge loss to pianists studying in Russia.
Huh? Davidovich became VERY well known outside Russia – after she emigrated to America in 1978.
Such a wonderful kindred soul. This world is so lucky to have been graced by your musicality