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Igor BlazhkovUkrainian conductor
Date of Birth: 23.09.1936
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Igor Blazhkov: Soviet and Ukrainian Conductor
- Early Life and Education
- Career in Leningrad
- Persecution and Dismissal
- Return to Kiev
- Legacy and Recognition
- Personal Life
Igor Blazhkov: Soviet and Ukrainian Conductor
Igor Ivanovich Blazhkov (born 1934) was a renowned Ukrainian conductor and People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
Early Life and Education
Blazhkov graduated from the conducting faculty of the Kiev Conservatory in 1959, where he studied under Alexander Klimov. He later pursued doctoral studies at the Leningrad Conservatory with Yevgeny Mravinsky, graduating in 1967.
Career in Leningrad
From 1963 to 1968, Blazhkov served as a conductor with the Leningrad Philharmonic. During this time, he gained recognition for introducing neglected and obscure works into the orchestra's repertoire. He also led the performances of two symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich, which had been suppressed for nearly three decades.
Persecution and Dismissal
Blazhkov was dismissed from the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1968 for performing avant-garde music. This decision was made by the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, which disapproved of his artistic choices.
Return to Kiev
Despite his dismissal, Blazhkov continued to conduct and head various ensembles in Kiev. From 1969 to 1976, he led the Kiev Chamber Orchestra, premiering countless works by composers from different eras and countries. From 1983, he directed the "Perpetuum Mobile" chamber orchestra, where he performed rare and forgotten compositions.
Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
In 1988, Blazhkov became the artistic director and chief conductor of the Государственный симфонический оркестр Украины. Under his leadership, the orchestra's repertoire expanded to include works by contemporary Ukrainian and international composers.
Legacy and Recognition
Blazhkov is widely considered one of the most significant Ukrainian musicians of the 20th century. He is known for his advocacy of modern compositions and his extensive research and rediscovery of forgotten musical masterpieces.
Personal Life
Blazhkov was married twice, first to musicologist Galina Mokreyeva and later to Irina Morozova. He had one son, pianist Kirill Blazhkov, from his second marriage. Blazhkov was awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine in 1990.
