Vadim Vasilyevich Borisovsky (russian: Вадим Васильевич Борисовский; January 20, 1900 – July 2, 1972) was a Soviet and Russian

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

Biography

Born 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 ...

, Borisovsky entered

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 ...

in 1917 studying the violin with

Mikhail Press Mikhail (Moisej) Isaakovich Press, also known as Michael Press, (russian: Михаил Исаакович Пресс; 29 August 1871, in Vilnius, Lithuania – 22 December 1938, in Lansing, Michigan) was a Russian-American violinist, conductor ...

. A year later, on the advice of violist

Vladimir Bakaleinikov Vladimir Romanovich Bakaleinikov, also Bakaleynikov and Bakaleinikoff (russian: Владимир Романович Бакалейников; 3 October 1885 in Moscow – 5 November 1953 in Pittsburgh) was a Russians, Russian-American Viola, violi ...

, Borisovsky turned his attentions to the viola. He studied with Bakaleinikov and graduated in 1922. Borisovsky became Professor of Viola at the conservatory in 1925 Between 1922 and 1923, Borisovsky and colleagues from the Moscow Conservatory formed the

Beethoven Quartet The Beethoven Quartet (russian: Струнный квартет имени Бетховена, ''Strunnyĭ kvartet imeni Betkhovena'') was a string quartet founded between 1922 and 1923 by graduates of the Moscow Conservatory: violinists Dmitri Tsy ...

. He was the quartet's violist until 1964. There are many recordings of Borisovsky with the Beethoven Quartet. Borisovsky was also a

viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; Italian for "viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viol ...

player. He arranged, transcribed and edited more than 250 compositions for viola and viola d'amore. He died in Moscow, aged 72.

Original compositions

* ''Concert Etude'' (Концертный этюд) in A major for viola solo (published 1981) * ''Vulcan: Sicilian Tarantella'' (Сицилийская тарантелла “Вулкан”) for viola and piano (1962)

Arrangements and transcriptions

Harp

For harp solo

Viola d'amore

For viola d'amore and piano unless otherwise noted

Viola

For viola and piano unless otherwise noted {{DEFAULTSORT:Borisovsky, Vadim 1900 births 1972 deaths 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century Russian male musicians Moscow Conservatory alumni Moscow Conservatory academic personnel People's Artists of the RSFSR Stalin Prize winners Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian classical viola d'amore players Russian classical violists Soviet classical viola d'amore players Soviet classical violists