The Gnessin State Musical College (russian: link=no, Государственный музыкальный колледж имени Гнесиных) and Gnesins Russian Academy of Music (russian: Российская академия музыки имени Гнесиных, links=no) is a prominent music school in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

.Moisenko, Rena. (1949) ''Realist Music: 25 Soviet Composers,'' London: Meridian Book, Ltd.

History

Originally known as the Gnessin Institute, it was established on February 15, 1895 by three sisters: Evgenia Fabianovna, Elena Fabianovna, and Maria Fabianovna Gnessin. Each of the Gnessin sisters had studied piano and graduated with distinction from the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

.Phillips, Anthony & Prokofiev, Sergey. (2006). "Sergey Prokofiev Diaries, 1907–1914: Prodigious Youth", p. 498 Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Construction of the modern building began in 1937, interrupted during the war and resumed in 1943. The main part of the academy was built in 1946. The college quickly became, and remains, an elite music school, considered second only to the Moscow Conservatory.

Founders

The Gnessin sisters were born in

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

, the children of Rostov Rabbi Fabian Osipovich Gnessin. The entire family appears to have possessed musical talent. Their brother, Mikhail Fabianovich Gnessin, was a celebrated composer and teacher who later served (1945–1957) as head of Gnessin State Musical College.

Alumni

Russian unless otherwise stated * Georgy Andryushchenko, opera singer *

Alexey Arhipovsky Alexey Vitalyevich Arkhipovsky (also spelled as Arhipovskiy, russian: Алексей Витальевич Архиповский; born 15 May 1967) is a modern-day Russian balalaika player. Personal life Alexey Arkhipovsky was born in 1967 in t ...

, balalaika virtuoso * Yulianna Avdeeva, pianist *

Rim Banna Rim Banna ( ar, ريم بنا; 8 December 1966 – 24 March 2018) was a Palestinian singer and composer who was most known for her modern interpretations of traditional Palestinian songs and poetry. Banna was born in Nazareth, where she graduat ...

, Palestinian singer, composer and arranger *

Nikolay Baskov Nikolay Victorovich Baskov (russian: link=no, Николай Викторович Басков; born 15 October 1976) is a Russian tenor who performs in both operatic and popular music styles. His honors include commendations as Meritorious ...

, singer *

Sonya Belousova Sonya Belousova (; born February 4, 1990) is a Russian-American film composer, pianist and recording artist who resides and works in Los Angeles, California. Belousova is a winner of international composition and piano competitions. Recognized as ...

, Russian-American composer, pianist and recording artist * Dmitry Belosselskiy, bass *

Evgeny Belyaev Evgeny Mikhailovich Belyaev, also written as Yevgeny Belyayev (Russian: Евгений Михайлович Беля́ев) (Klintsy, 11 September 1926 – 21/22 February 1994), was a Russian tenor soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble under Boris ...

, singer * Boris Berezovsky, pianist * Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, opera singer *

Dima Bilan Dima Nikolayevich Bilan (russian: Ди́ма Никола́евич Била́н; born Viktor Nikolayevich Belan, russian: Ви́ктор Никола́евич Бела́н, links=no; 24 December 1981) is a Russian singer, songwriter and acto ...

, singer and Eurovision winner *

Artyom Bogucharsky Artyom Gennadyevich Bogucharsky (Russian language, Russian: Артем Генна́дьевич Богучарский; born 14 August 1989)Ivan S. Bukreev, singer *

Roberto Cani Roberto Salvatore Cani (born 17 October 1967) is an Italian violinist. Roberto Cani was a prizewinner in the Paganini (Genoa, 1990), Jeunesses Musicales (Belgrade, 1991), and Courcillon (France, 1991) International Competitions. He also won hono ...

, violinist *

Marina Devyatova Marina Vladimirovna Devyatova (russian: link=no, Мари́на Влади́мировна Девя́това, born 13 December 1983) is a Russian singer and interpreter of Russian traditional music. She was a finalist of the third edition of ' ...

, singer *

Egine Heghine Grigorian ( arm, Հեղինե Գրիգորյան, born 1989) or Egine ( arm, Իջին, russian: link=no, Иджùн) or Ezhine, is an Armenian-Russian singer and songwriter who's based out of Miami. Biography Egine was born in Yerevan, Ar ...

, Armenian-Russian singer and songwriter *

Boris Elkis Boris Elkis (born in Moscow) is a Russian composer. He has studied at the Gnessins music academy. Filmography *A Perfect Getaway - original music * Street Kings - music programmer * Darfur Now - music programmer * Days of Wrath - music program ...

, composer *

Ivan Farmakovsky Ivan Farmakovsky (born February 1, 1973, Moscow, Russia) is a Russian jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Biography Born into a creative family of an actress and pianist, Ivan Farmakovsky attended a musical school under the studio of recreation ...

, jazz pianist and composer *

Alexander Goldstein Alexander Goldstein (born August 10, 1948), also credited as ''Aleksandr Goldshteyn'' and ''Aleksandr Goldstein'' in films, is a Russian–American music composer, conductor, songwriter, record producer, film producer, director, editor and is ...

, composer *

Alina Ibragimova Alina Rinatovna Ibragimova (russian: link=no, Али́на Рина́товна Ибраги́мова; ba, Алина Ринат ҡыҙы Ибраһимова born 28 September 1985) is a Russian-British violinist. Early life and education ...

, violinist *

Dimitri Illarionov Dimitri Illarionov (born 1979) is a Russian classical guitarist. He is a winner of the Guitar Foundation of America Competition (2002, Miami, USA) and Francisco Tárrega Guitar Competition (2008, Spain). Music career Education Dimitri studied i ...

, guitarist *

Alexander Ivashkin Alexander Ivashkin (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Ивашкин), (17 August 1948 – 31 January 2014) was a Russian cellist, writer, academic and conductor. Ivashkin studied at the Gnessin Institute, where his teache ...

, cellist *

Eugene Izotov Eugene Izotov (born 1973) is a Russian-born oboist and recording artist. He is Principal Oboist of the San Francisco Symphony appointed by Michael Tilson Thomas in 2014. He is the first Russian-born oboist in any major U.S. symphony orchestra. P ...

, oboist *

Mungonzazal Janshindulam Mungonzazal Janshindulam ( mn, Янжиндуламын Мөнгөнцацал ''Yanjindulamyn Möngöntsatsal''; 1972–2007), also known as "Mungo", was a Mongolian pianist and music teacher who lived and taught until her death in Düsseldorf an ...

, Mongolian pianist *

Sati Kazanova Sataney Setgalievna Kazanova (russian: link=no, Сатаней Сетгалиевна Казанова), better known as Sati Kazanova (russian: link=no, Сати Казанова), (born 2 October 1982 in Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR) is a Russia ...

, singer * Yakov Kazyansky, composer and jazz pianist * Leonid Kharitonov, singer *

Philipp Kirkorov Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov PAR (russian: Филипп Бедросович Киркоров; bg, Филип Бедросов Киркоров, Filip Bedrosov Kirkorov; born 30 April 1967) is a Bulgarian-born Russian pop singer. He is a five ...

, singer and actor *

Evgeny Kissin Evgeny Igorevich Kissin (russian: link=no, Евге́ний И́горевич Ки́син, translit=Evgénij Ígorevič Kísin, yi, link=no, יעווגעני קיסין, translit=Yevgeni Kisin; born 10 October 1971) is a Russian concert pianis ...

, pianist *

Dmitry Shishkin Dmitry Igorevich Shishkin (russian: Дмитрий Игоревич Шишкин), born 12 February 1992, is a Russian classical pianist. He is best known for winning the 2nd prize at the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019. In 2 ...

, pianist *

Lev Knipper Lev Konstantinovich Knipper (Russian: Лев Константинович Книппер; – 30 July 1974) was a Soviet and Russian composer of partial German descent and an active OGPU/NKVD agent. Life and career Lev Knipper was born in Ti ...

, composer * Alexander Knyazev, cellist *

Joseph Kobzon Iosif (Joseph) Davydovich Kobzon (russian: link=no, Ио́сиф Давы́дович Кобзо́н; 11 September 1937 – 30 August 2018) was a Russian singer, known for his crooner style. Early life Kobzon was born to Jewish parents in the ...

, Russian vocalist *

Maria Krushevskaya Maria Krushevskaya (born 1984) is a virtuoso Russian harpist. She was the gold medalist of the 2007 USA International Harp Competition, where she was awarded the Jan Jennings Prize for best performance of Pierné's Concertstück for Harp and Orc ...

, Russian harpist *

Elena Kuznetsova Elena Kuznetsova ( uz, Елена Кузнецова; born 1 August 1982) is an Uzbekistani sport shooter. Kuznetsova represented Uzbekistan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), ...

, pianist and teacher * Edward M. Labkovsky, singer * Irina Lankova, Belgian pianist *

Alexander Levine Alexander Levine (Russian: Александр Левин; born 17 November 1955), is a Russian-born British composer. He writes choral, chamber and orchestral music, publishing through Edition Peters. Background Alexander Levine was born in ...

, Russian-British composer * Konstantin Lifschitz, pianist *

Oleg Maisenberg Oleg Maisenberg (born 29 April 1945) is a Soviet-Austrian pianist and teacher. Early life and career Born to a Jewish family in Odessa, Oleg Maisenberg received his first piano lessons from his mother at the age of five. He completed his studie ...

, pianist *

Alexander Malofeev Alexander Dmitrievitch Malofeev ( rus, Александр Дмитриевич Малофеев; also Alexander Dmitrievitch Malofeyev; born 21 October 2001 in Moscow) is a Russian pianist. Biography Early life Alexander Malofeev was born ...

, pianist *

Maxim Mironov Maxim Vyacheslavovich Mironov (russian: Макси́м Вячесла́вович Миро́нов; born 30 September 1981 in Tula), is a Russian tenor, best known for his interpretation of the bel canto repertoire. In 2001, he joined the H ...

, tenor *

Roman Moiseyev Roman Yurevich Moiseyev (russian: Роман Юрьевич Моисеев) (born May 12, 1960 in Moscow) is a Russian conductor. Biography Moiseyev received a musical education at the Academic Music College (1975-1979) and the Gnessins Russi ...

, conductor * Sofia Moshevich, Canadian scholar, pianist, and teacherhttp://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/jspui/bitstream/10539/13021/1/Pg%201-120.pdf *

Quynh Nguyen Quynh Nguyen ( vi, Nguyễn Thuý Quỳnh) is a Vietnamese-American classical pianist based in New York City. She has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, to wide critical acclaim. For her Carnegie Recital Hall d ...

, Vietnamese pianist *

Boris Parsadanian Boris Khristoforovich Parsadanian (russian: Бори́с Христофо́рович Парсаданя́н; May 14, 1925 – May 14, 1997) was a Soviet-born Armenian-Estonian composer, violinist, and arts administrator. Biography Parsadanian w ...

, Armenian-Estonian composer *

Olga Pashchenko Olga Pashchenko (russian: Ольга Пащенко) (born 1986) is a Russian harpsichordist, fortepianist, organist and pianist who has performed in concert halls in Moscow and other cities of Russia, Belarus, Italy, USA, Austria, Belgium, France, ...

, pianist *

Alla Pavlova Alla Pavlova (Russian: ''Алла Павлова'', born July 13, 1952 in Ukraine) is a Russian composer, born and initially raised in Vinnitsa in Ukraine. She and her family moved to Moscow in 1961, and she then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 199 ...

, American composer *

Kirill Rodin Kirill (Kyril or Kyrill) Rodin is a Russian cellist and professor of cello. Rodin performs as a soloist in the Moscow State Philharmonic and is the cellist of the Tchaikovsky String Quartet (commonly referred to as the Tchaikovsky Quartet or Tcha ...

, cellist * Vadim L. Ruslanov, singer * Alexei T. Sergeev, singer * Prokhor Shalyapin, singer *

Konstantin Shamray Konstantin Shamray (born 27 May 1985, Novosibirsk, Soviet Union) is a Russian pianist. Shamray was born in Novosibirsk and began musical-schooling at the age of six in the Kemerovo Music School with Natalia Knobloch. From 1996 he continued his ...

, pianist *

Vissarion Shebalin Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin (russian: Виссарио́н Я́ковлевич Шебали́н; 29 May 1963) was a Soviet composer. Biography Shebalin was born in Omsk, where his parents were school teachers. He studied in the musical colle ...

, composer * Natalia Sheludiakova, Russian-Australian pianist and teacher *

Anatoly Sheludyakov Anatoly Sheludyakov (russian: Анатолий Шелудяков, , born 1955) is a List of classical pianists, classical pianist and composer. He was born in Moscow, Russia, where he completed his doctoral studies under professor Anatoly Vederni ...

, pianist *

Vladimir Shkaptsov This is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble (under its various titles) since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regu ...

, singer *

Vladislav Shoot Vladislav Shoot (russian: link=no, Владислав Алексеевич Шуть, ''Vladislav Alekseyevich Shut' '' (also spelled Chout, Schut, Sciut, Shut or Szut); 3 March 1941 – 9 March 2022) was a Russian-British composer of contemporar ...

, composer *

Alexander S. Sibirtsev This is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble (under its various titles) since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regu ...

, singer *

Leonid Sigal Leonid Sigal is a Russian violinist and conductor. A graduate from the Moscow Conservatory, Sigal is active in the United States, where he settled as he joined in 1995 the New World Symphony Orchestra. He was appointed the orchestra's Concertmas ...

, violinist *

Senya Son Semyon Avangardovich Son is a Russian pianist, composer, professor of Barcelona Academy of Music. Biography After graduating from Simferopol Music College and serving two years in the Soviet Army, Semyon entered Gnessin State Musical College, G ...

, pianist and composer *

Viktor Suslin Viktor Yevseyevich Suslin (russian: Ви́ктор Евсе́евич Су́слин; June 13, 1942, Miass, Ural, Russia – July 10, 2012, Hamburg, Germany) was a Russian composer. An associate of Sofia Gubaidulina's, together with her and Vy ...

, composer *

Evgeny Svetlanov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting wi ...

, conductor *

Svoy Mikhail Tarasov (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Тара́сов), better known by his stage name Svoy (which can be loosely translated as "self-contained"), is an American producer/writer/artist for Universal Music Group in the genre of pop/ e ...

, Russian-American songwriter/producer *

Mikael Tariverdiev Mikael Leonovich Tariverdiev (russian: Микаэл Леонович Таривердиев, hy, Միքայել Թարիվերդիև; 15 August 1931 – 25 July 1996) was a prominent Soviet composer of Armenian descent. He headed the Composers' G ...

, Georgian-Armenian composer *

Valentina Tolkunova Valentina Vasilevna Tolkunova (russian: Валенти́на Васи́льевна Толкуно́ва, 12 July 1946 – 22 March 2010) was a Soviet and Russian singer and was bestowed the title of Honored Artist of RSFSR (1979) and People’s A ...

, singer *

Daniil Trifonov Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (russian: Дании́л Оле́гович Три́фонов; born 5 March 1991) is a Russian pianist and composer. Described by ''The Globe and Mail'' as "arguably today's leading classical virtuoso" and by ''The Tim ...

, pianist *

Pava Turtygina Pava Grigorevna Turtygina (26 December 1902 – 1985) was a Russian composer. Turtygina was born in Gomel. She studied at the Ekaterinoslav Music School (1915-1919), today known as the Dnipropetrovsk Academy of Music in Ukraine; at the Gnessin Sta ...

, composer and pianist *

Yulia Volkova Yulia Olegovna Volkova (russian: Юлия Олеговна Волкова; born 20 February 1985), better known by the alternative spelling of Julia, is a Russian singer best known for being a member of the Russian girl group t.A.T.u., along ...

, singer from the group t.A.T.u. *

Aleksey Volodin Alexei Volodin (russian: Алексей Володин; born 1977) is a Russian pianist. Volodin began taking piano lessons in St. Petersburg at the age of nine. A year later he moved to Moscow, where he studied first with Irina Chaklina and ...

, pianist * Marina Yakhlakova, pianist *

Inna Abramovna Zhvanetskaia Composer Inna Abramovna Zhvanetskaya was born in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on 20 January 1937 or 20 January 1939. She studied composition under Nikolay Peyko at the Gnessin School where she graduated in 1964. She taught piano and in 1965 became a ...

, Ukrainian composer *

Igor Zubkovsky Igor Zubkovsky (born March 10, 1971) is a Russian cellist. Music career Education Igor Zubkovsky started playing cello at the Gnessin Music School in Moscow and first appeared as a soloist with thMinsk State Philharmonic Orchestraat the age of ...

, cellist

Faculty

* Timofei Dokschitzer, Russian-Ukrainian trumpeter *

Mikhail Fikhtengoltz Mikhail Izrailevich Fichtenholz (1 June 1920 – 4 June 1985) was a Soviet violinist. A pupil of the eminent pedagogue Pyotr Stolyarsky, he won the national competition for young performers in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) at the age of 15. In 1 ...

, violinist *

Grigori Gamburg Grigori (German) Semyonovich Gamburg (russian: Григорий (Герман) Семёнович Гамбург; also Grigorij Gamburg, Grigory Semenovich Hamburg; in Warsaw, Vistula Land, Russian Empire – 28 October 1967 in Moscow, Soviet Unio ...

, conductor * Mikhail Gnessin, composer and brother of founding sisters *

Maria Grinberg Maria Grinberg (Russian: Mария Израилевна Гринберг, Marija Israilevna Grinberg; September 6, 1908 – July 14, 1978) was a Russian pianist. She was born in Odessa, Russian Empire. Her father was a Hebrew scholar and her moth ...

, Russian-Ukrainian pianist *

Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armenian ...

, Armenian composer * Alexander Kobrin, pianist *

Volodymyr Kozhukhar Volodymyr Markovych Kozhukhar (; 16 March 1941 – 3 December 2022) was a Soviet and Ukrainian conductor and academic teacher who focused on opera. Most notably, he conducted and taught in Kyiv and Moscow, among other places. His first post w ...

, conductor * Ivan Mozgovenko, clarinetist *

Nelli Shkolnikova Nelli Efimovna Shkolnikova (8 July 19282 February 2010) was a Russian Jewish classical violinist who spent many years teaching in Australia and the United States. She was born in the Ukrainian village of Zolotonosha. At the age of three, she m ...

, Russian-Australian violinist and teacher * Natalia Shpiller, opera singer *

Lyubov Streicher Lyubov Lvovna Streicher (3 March 1888 - 31 March 1958) was a Russian composer, teacher, and violinist, as well as a founding member of the Society for Jewish Folk Music. Streicher was born in Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавк ...

, composer and violinist *

, composer *

Valentine Yanovna Zhubinskaya Valentine Yanovna Zhubinskaya (17 May 1926 – 2013) was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She was a Ukrainian composer, concertmistress, lecturer, and pianist. Zhubinskaya was the concertmistress at Kharkiv State Theatre until 1948, while studying piano un ...

, pianist and composer

References

External links

Gnesin Academy of Music official website
(Russian)
Gnessin State Musical College website
(Russian) {{authority control Music schools in Russia Universities and colleges in Moscow Education in Moscow Culture in Moscow Arbat District