Igor Lazko (, ), (b. St Petersburg, 1949), is a Russian classical pianist who has made a distinguished international career as performer, recording artist and teacher of other pianists.
Early career in Russia Igor Lazko is descended from a family renowned for its musicians through several generations. When he was six years old, he was admitted to the special school for young musicians in the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, where his professors were Pavel SerebryakovBiography in the Paris Conservatoire-russe website. and Sophia Lekhovitskaya.Concert Programme of Igor Lazko with pianist Jovanka Višekruna Jancović, French Ambassadorial Residence in Serbia, 6 March 2013, Biographical note (rs.ambafrance pdf download) revised for the performer (in French). He was profoundly affected by the example of Glenn Gould's playing during his tour in the Soviet Union in 1957, and from this and from Gould's recordings he drew a wealth of inspiration: the pianist describes this in a published article.Guertain 1988.
At a very young age, he displayed exceptional gifts and when only 14 he became the youngest laureate in the history of the Johann Sebastian Bach International Music Competition at Leipzig, receiving from them the bronze medal.Conservatoire-russe biography (cited above). Soon afterwards (in 1965), he recorded the Two- and Three-Part Inventions for the Russian Melodiya record label,Two-Part Inventions BWV 772-86 only: Melodiya 33D 19399/400. the disc which launched his recording career.
His hard work and his exceptional talent opened for him the very finest teaching that Russia had to offer. He perfected himself at the higher Tchaikowsky Conservatory in Moscow in the class of Jakov Zak,Conservatoire-russe biography (cited above). successor of the master Heinrich Neuhaus, and took the First Prize in all his paths of study. From 1974 to 1977, he pursued a career as soloist and chamber musician in the Soviet Union, and was soloist with the Leningrad Philharmonic. In the USSR, he performed in duo with the cellist Alexey Lazko (appearing before the Leningrad Philharmonic Society in 1965), and in trio with Mirra Lvovna Furer-Lazko.Sleevenotes to 'Cellist's Golden Repertoire' (see Recording listings).
Belgrade From 1978 to 1992, he was professor at the University of Belgrade. In this period he recorded the six Partitas and the Goldberg Variations of J.S. Bach, as well as works of Tchaikovsky and of other composers.Conservatoire-russe biography (cited above). The concert which he dedicated to the memory of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould was proclaimed 'the best interpretation of the 1982–1983 season' in Belgrade. Intensively engaged in the musical life of the country, his Belgrade Festival recital of 1987 consisted entirely of Serbian composers,Belgrade Music Festival, Recital of 7 October 1987 including works by Mirjana Živković, Rajko Maksimović, Berislav Popović, Vlastimir Trajković, Ivan Jevtić and Milorad Kuzmanović, Beograd Bemus archive 1987. (listing download) while his 1989 recital was a Russian programme of Moussorgsky, Tchaikowsky ('The Seasons' op. 37, which he also recorded in Belgrade) and Rachmaninoff.Belgrade Music Festival, Recital 16 October 1989, Belgrade BEMUS archive 1989. (listing download) His 1987 recital with violinist Črtomir Šiškovićfor whom see Šiškovič website here also combined Bach, Mozart and Tchaikowsky.Timeline: major Serbian events in the period 1977-1989. After winning the 1981 Contemporary Music Congress at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, his career also began to develop further in France. In 1985, at the 'Music Like Bach' Festival of Nanterre, he performed practically the complete klavier works of J.S. Bach.Conservatoire-russe biography (cited above).
Range Igor Lazko has worked with such orchestral directors as Yuri Temirkanov, Mariss Jansons, Vladislav Chernushenko and Valery Gergiev, with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Leningrad and Moscow, the National Chamber Orchestra of Canada,The Canadian Encyclopedia: National Chamber Orchestra and with many European ensembles. Based in Paris since 1992, he continues to perform and teaches at the Schola Cantorum, at the National School of Music of Fresnesi.e., the Ecole Nationale de Musique, or Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental de Val de Bièvre. and in particular at the Russian Conservatory Alexandre ScriabinRussian Conservatory Alexandre Scriabin home webpage. in Paris.
He is President Director of the Nikolai Rubinstein International Piano Concours (founded 1996)8th International Nikolai Rubinstein Piano Contest, 2006, at the Slavic Academy of Music . and is the Founder and President of the International Concours of the Conservatoire Russe Alexandre Scriabine (2001), in Paris.The Scriabine Conservatory's Tenth Concours, 22-26 February 2010, Paris, details and results (in French - no translation available). He is also associated with the Jūrmala (Latvia) International Academic Music Competition for pianists, which reached its 11th Season in 2010.See Biographical notice of Lazko in the 7th International Festival.
He is pianist of the Trio Mendelssohn,Trio Mendelssohn : not to be confused with the Mendelssohn Piano Trio of Ya-Ting Chang, Peter Sirotin and Fiona Thompson. with violinist Alexandre StajicStajic is a pupil of Kogan and Oistrakh, and is Artistic Director of la Compagnie 'Petit Théâtre et Opéra' . and 'cellist Dorel Fodoreanu.Fodoreanu is founder and cellist of the Enesco Quartet, which had a privileged relationship with Sandor Vegh, Norbert Brainin and Sergiu Celibidache.
Artistry Igor Lazko is an artist, a pianist and a chamber-musician. The lyricism of his playing and his symphonic projection of sound, give authenticity to his interpretations.
Recordings mentioned Two- and Three-Part Inventions (J S Bach). (Melodiya 10" 33D 19399/400) Concerto for piano and orchestra in F minor (J S Bach) with Leningrad Chamber Orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov (1968).Петербгская Студия Грамзаписи: PRS Recordings, see their catalogue site in Russian w. Alexey Lazko (cello): Works for piano and cello by Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Rachmananinoff, etc. 'Cellist's Golden Repertoire (2 CDs, published 2009). Kompozitor SPb CD 75.See Ruslania site for listing Goldberg Variations, Bach (Belgrade): PGP - Produkcija Gramofonskih Ploċa Radio-Televisije Beograd, SOKOJ RTB 2330172 (Sleevenotes April 1985, Issued 1987). Partitas, Bach (Belgrade): PGP RTB 3130096 (Issued 17 January 1985details on Discogs site) The Seasons (Tchaikowsky), op 37a. PGP RTB 2130513. w. Črtomir Šiškovič (violin): Sonata in G minor 'Didone abbandonata' (Tartini) op. 1 no. 10; Suite no 1 (Švara Danilo); Sonatina in G major op. 100 (Antonín Dvořák). PGP RTB 230049; Jugoton LSY-66243.See here for listings. w. Alexandre Brussilovsky (violin): Sonata for violin and piano in A major (César Franck); Sonata for violin and piano in E flat major (Richard Strauss). Suoni e colori, ORCD 6712 (August 2000). w. A Brussilovsky (violin), Nathanaelle Marie, works by Khandoshkin, Afanassiev, Cui, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, Arensky, Rachmaninoff, Efrem Zimbalist. Suoni e colori, 53005. w. A Brussilovsky (violin), Amaury Wallez (bassoon), Michel Lethiec (clar.), Glinka: Trio Pathetique in D min. Suoni e colori 53004.
Sources and references
Ghyslaine Guertin (Ed), Glenn Gould, Pluriel: Texts collected and presented by G. Guertin (at Conferences at Universities of Quebec and Montreal, 13–15 October 1987), including an article by Igor Lazko on Gould's 1957 Soviet tour. (Louise Courteau: Verdun, Quebec, 1988). 2007 Forest Hill Musical Days programme note biography of Lazko