Alexander Slobodyanik ( uk, Олекса́ндр Слободя́ник, ''Oleksandr Slobodyanyk''; 5 September 1941 – 10 August 2008) was a classical

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

from

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. He enjoyed a prodigious international career spanning over five decades. He made his debut tour to the United States in 1968 which included a recital at Carnegie Hall, which was highly praised by critics, recognizing him as a leader of his generation. Following his American debut, Slobodyanik returned regularly for tours of the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

until 1979, when the cultural agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union was broken. After a nine-year absence from the American concert stage, his 1988 concert tour of the United States was hailed by the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

a “triumphant return.” Slobodyanik appeared at the world’s major music centers and performed with such renowned orchestras as the Chicago Symphony,

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...

, Kirov Orchestra,

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra,

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (french: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, or OSM) is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. It is the only orch ...

, National Symphony Orchestra,

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France sinc ...

, Pittsburgh Symphony,

Royal Philharmonic The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

, San Francisco Symphony,

St. Petersburg Philharmonic The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (russian: Симфонический оркестр Санкт-Петербургской филармонии, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a Russian orchestra based ...

and the Moscow Soloists. Slobodyanik lived the last part of his life in Morristown, New Jersey.Weber, Bruce
"Alexander Slobodyanik, Pianist, Is Dead at 65 "
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', August 12, 2008. Accessed August 4, 2013. "Alexander Slobodyanik, a Ukrainian-born pianist who earned stardom in the former Soviet Union with his virtuosity and emotional interpretations of Romantic composers and who has been a concert pianist and in-demand teacher since moving to the United States in 1989, died on Sunday in New Jersey. He was 65 and lived in Morristown, N.J." Slobodyanik, with his energy and enthusiasm, and the help of volunteers, helped transform the Community Theater - an old, dilapidated cinema - into a first-rate performance center. Slobodyanik died on 10 August 2008 from meningitis.Novoe Russkoe Slovo Alexander Slobodyanik's obituary

References

External links

Alexander Slobodyanik's personal website
1941 births 2008 deaths Ukrainian classical pianists Male classical pianists Deaths from meningitis Neurological disease deaths in New Jersey Infectious disease deaths in New Jersey Musicians from Morristown, New Jersey 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century male musicians {{Ukraine-classical-pianist-stub