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Oleh KrysaUkrainian-American violinist, Honored Artist of Ukraine.
Date of Birth: 01.06.1942
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Oleg Krysa
Oleg Krysa is a Ukrainian-American violinist and Honored Artist of Ukraine. He was born in Poland but grew up in Lviv. He studied and worked in Kyiv and Moscow before eventually finding his permanent home in the United States. Despite the radical change in locations, this did not hinder Oleg from becoming one of the most outstanding and renowned violinists of his time.
Early Life and Education
Oleg Krysa comes from a highly important and influential family. In 1945, Oleg and his relatives' lives drastically changed due to the so-called "Operation Vistula" – a project for the mass resettlement of non-Polish inhabitants in Poland to previously German-occupied territories. Their new home became the city of Lviv, where Oleg grew up and spent his school years. Although no one in the Krysa family had exceptional musical talents, Oleg's mother always wanted him to learn to play the violin, while his father had a strong liking for the piano. At the age of 6, Krysa began learning to play the violin under the guidance of Konstantin Mikhailov.
Career
In 1960, Oleg Krysa graduated from Lviv School with a focus on music and entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied from 1960 to 1967 under the guidance of David Oistrakh. Oistrakh highly praised Krysa, stating that the young musician possessed natural abilities, innate musicality, artistic qualities, and incredible charisma. After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, Krysa performed with the Kyiv Philharmonic for a while and also taught at the Kyiv Conservatory. Six years later, he returned to Moscow and obtained the position of the first violin in the legendary Beethoven Quartet. Krysa led the Quartet as the first violinist until its dissolution in 1987. He continued to perform solo concerts and collaborated with renowned orchestras around the world. Krysa was also involved in teaching; in 1973, he became a professor at the Gnesin Academy of Music in Russia and, a year later, received a professorship at the Moscow Conservatory.
Move to the United States
Oleg Krysa is a great lover of contemporary music and has had the opportunity to premiere new works by prominent composers such as Valentyn Silvestrov, Vyacheslav Artemiev, Miroslav Skoryk, and Alfred Schnittke. In 1989, during the time of Perestroika, Krysa relocated to the United States. He quickly found a new job as a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Currently, Oleg continues his teaching activities and performs solo concerts. He regularly conducts masterclasses worldwide, providing guidance to musicians in China, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, Poland, and beyond.
Personal Life
Oleg Krysa was married to pianist Tatiana Chekina, and they had three children together. Interestingly, all three of their children followed in their parents' footsteps and pursued careers in music. Oleg's brother, Bohdan, also continues to be involved in music, teaching at the Kyiv Music Academy and playing the violin, just like Oleg. Another brother, Roman, has a career in electrical engineering. In 2013, Tatiana Chekina tragically died in a car accident while driving an SUV on one of the roads in Monroe, New York. Oleg, who was also in the car, was injured but is currently not in life-threatening condition. It is presumed that the cause of the accident was the other driver being under the influence of alcohol.
