The Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa, long esteemed in the former USSR as a distinguished soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, made his American debut in 1971 at Carnegie Hall with a performance that won glowing reviews from the critics. Heralded by the New York Times as "a performance to make a violinist's reputation had he come without one." After an 18-year absence from the American concert stage, his appearences in 1990 at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center were again met with exceptional critic acclaim and confirmed his reputation as a master of his instrument.
A prominent student of David Oistrakh, Oleh Krysa won major prizes in such international competitions as the Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, and Montreal, and was outright winner of the Paganini Competition. When he won first prize in the Paganini Competition, the local press speculated he must have been born with a violin in his hands.
After completing his postgraduate work, Oleh Krysa began his teaching career as chairman of the Violin Department at the Kiev Conservatory. In 1973 he took the same position at the Gnesins Musical and Pedagogical Institute in Moscow and, two years later, returned to the Moscow Conservatory as Professor of Violin, where he remained until 1988. Currently he is Professor of Violin at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and actively performs all over the world.
Oleh Krysa has performed in major music centres throughout the world, with leading orchestras and conductors and ensembles. He has also appeared at major festivals in
- Russia ("Moscow Stars")
- Czechoslovakia ("Prague Spring")
- Poland ("Warsaw Autumn")
- Austria (Wiener Fest, Lockenhaus)
- Germany (Schleswig-Holstein, Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart)
- Scotland (Edinburgh)
- Finland (Kuhmo, Korsholm)
- USA (Oregon Bach Festival, The Lake Winnipesaukee Music Festival, Park City International Chamber Music Festival, Peninsula Music Festival)
- Australia (Perth, Townsville) and
- New Zealand (Wellington)
In addition to his thriving solo career, Oleh Krysa was leader of the celebrated Beethoven String Quartet 1977-87.
Oleh Krysa is also a champion of contemporary music and has worked closely with Alfred Schnittke, Valentin Silvestrov, Myroslaw Skoryk and Vyacheslav Artyomov. He has premiered a number of their works and many have been written specifically for him.
He has recorded on the Melodiya, BIS, Triton, Olympia, Amadis, Polskie Nagranie, TNC and Russian Disc labels.
Oleh Krysa is married to pianist Tatiana Tchekina who has been his partner in most of his recitals and recordings over the years.
Top of page
|
