Special Piano Department

Position: Professor of the Special Piano Department
Academic title: Professor (2006)
Honorary title: People’s Artist of the Republic of Belarus (1998)
Education: Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I.Tchaikovsky (1978, piano class of Prof. Ya.V.Flier and organ class of Prof. L.I.Roizman); in the same place – probation assistantship (1980) under the guidance of M.S.Voskresensky
Courses taught: Special instrument (piano), Piano ensemble, Art of performing interpretation

Born on November 5, 1954 in Minsk (BSSR).

Since 1980, he has been a teacher of the Special Piano Department of the Belarusian State Conservatory named after A.V.Lunacharsky. Associate Professor (since 1992), Professor (since 1994). Head of the Department (1987–1992). One of the organizers and the first head of the organ class of the Belarusian State Academy of Music (1999–2002). Supervises the creative and research work of assistant trainees and Master’s degree students. Developed the author’s courses “History and technology of piano transcription”, “Fundamentals of performing expressiveness on the piano”, training courses for trainees of the Professional Development and Staff Retraining Faculty and students.

Honorary Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences (IEAS) (2002). Member of the Board of the Belarusian Union of Musical Figures (since 1987). Vice-President of BEL EPTA (since 1998).

Laureate of International and national competitions (Minsk, 1972; Vilnius, 1972; Prague, 1972), I All-Union Review of the Creative Youth (Moscow, 1983), World Arts Festival in North Korea (Pyongyang, 2001). Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus (1994).

Since 1980, he has been a soloist of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society. Tours as a pianist and organist in Russia, England, Germany, Spain, Poland, China, North Korea, Japan, etc. He performs both with solo piano and organ programs, and in chamber ensembles with famous instrumental soloists, as well as with symphony and chamber orchestras (conductors M.Jansons, A.Chistyakov, L.Kremer, G.Provatorov, V.Dudarova, A.Anisimov and others). The repertoire is distinguished by an exceptional genre and style diversity – from the music of the early Renaissance to samples of the 21st century.

The most significant projects: a cycle of 6 concerts “Fantasy for keyboard instruments” (organ, harpsichord, piano), “Theatrical pages in the sounds of the grand piano”, “Cinema nostalgia in the sounds of the piano”, monographic concertos from the works by J.Bach, L.Beethoven, F.Chopin, R.Schumann, F.Liszt, I.Brahms, Russian classics, Belarusian composers. The original organ programs of recent years are “Six Centuries of Chant” and “Seven Centuries of Secular Music”, in which compositions from the 14th century to the present day were presented. An important aspect of the musician’s activity is the promotion of the national musical heritage (the first performer of the piano concerto by L.Abeliovich; the Second, Third, Fourth Concertos and Concert Variations for Piano and Orchestra by G.Wagner; Piano Concerto, Fantasy Sonata “Temptation” by A.Korotkina, etc.).

Member of the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for Support of the Talented Youth (1997–2009). Chairman and member of the jury of International competitions of performers in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine. He is the permanent chairman of the International Piano Competition “Minsk” (1996, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2021), Vladimir Olovnikov Republican Competition for Young Pianists, A.Nemtin Multi-Genre Competition in Perm. He conducts master classes in Belarus, Russia, England, Japan, China, Poland, Ukraine, Taiwan.

Among his students are the Head of the Department of Music Pedagogy, History and Theory of Performing Arts, PhD in Art History, Associate Professor I.Onoshko, PhD in Art History, Associate Professor of the Piano Accompanist Mastery Department T.Kim, laureates of International competitions O.Efimova, I.Sergey, A.Yukho, A.Sapega, V.Shatskaya, M.Klimovich, O.Makarova, T.Glushanina and others.

Awarded: Diploma of Merit of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR (1987), Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus (2014), Union of Composers of the Republic of Belarus (2014); F.Skaryna Medal (2005); badges of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Musical Figures of the Republic of Belarus (2007, 2012, 2014); Anniversary Medal of the International Union of Musical Figures (2007); Order of the National Academy of Music of Ukraine “For outstanding achievements in musical art” (2017); congratulatory letters of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004, 2012, 2014); Commendation of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus (2012).

Publications:

• “Partisan story”: (educational transcription of the symphonic poem by V.Olovnikov) // Reader on the history of Belarusian music. – Moscow, 1987;
• “On the artistic value of piano transcription” // Piano pedagogy. – Minsk, 1998;
• “Special piano: a program for advanced training students – Minsk, 2004;
• Concert transcriptions for piano – Minsk, 2009;
• Concert Suite from P.I.Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake”. – Moscow, 2018;
• Concert transcriptions for piano. – Moscow, 2018;
• “The symbol of everything primordially Russian” // Mstislav Anatolyevich Smirnov. Collection of articles and memoirs. – Moscow, 2020.

Compiler and music editor (over 20 collections of Belarusian piano music) including:

• “Pianist” (1982);
• “Virtuoso” (1984, 1988);
• “Souvenirs” by E.A.Glebov (1989);
• “Works for Piano” by N.Orda (1997);
• “The Song of Love” by Ya.Tarasevich (2002);
• “Works for Piano” by N.Ravensky (2007);
• Collection of works for piano by Ya.Tarasevich in 10 notebooks (2014);
• “Piano Duet Magic” (2020);
• “Children’s Album” by S.Moniuszko (2022) and others.

Author of about 100 concert arrangements for piano, organ, two pianos, a quatre mains piano of music by J.Bach, W.Mozart, J.Brahms, S.Franck, C.Saint-Saens, D.Rossini, J.Bizet, P.Sarasate, A.Piazzolla, M.Glinka, S.Rachmaninov, P.Tchaikovsky, modern Belarusian authors.

Literature about the teacher:

• “Guardian of traditions: Conversation with pianist I.V.Olovnikov” // Art. – 1997. – No. 1;
• Lyashchevich, L. Musician – endless opportunities for improvement // Art. – 1997. – No. 12;
• Korotkina, A.I. My meetings with Igor Olovnikov // Musical and theatrical art: problems of teaching. – 2005. – No. 1;
• Gorbushina, I.L. The specificity of Igor Olovnikov’s interpretive art // Questions of art history, ethnology and folklore studies. – Minsk, 2013. – Issue 14;
• Gorbushina, I.L. Igor Olovnikov. Sound mysticism: conversation with pianist I.V.Olovnikov // Art. – 2014. – No. 12;
• “Opera transcriptions by I.Olovnikov in the concert and educational activities of the pianist” // BSAM News. – 2016. – No. 29;
• Onoshko, I.Yu. Representation of violin works in the transcription activity of I.V.Olovnikov // Musical culture of Mogilev region: national traditions in creativity, performing art, pedagogy: collection of materials of the IV regional research and practice conference, Mogilev, November 2, 2016. – Mogilev, 2017.

Every year he gives thematic lectures-concerts for young musicians of the Republic, gives lectures in the system of advanced training for piano teachers. A regular participant in the programs of the Belarusian radio and television.

He has stock records on the Belarusian radio and television.