Pages of History

The history of the Belarusian State Academy of Music (before 1992 – the Belarusian State Conservatoire named after A. Lounatcharsky) is to a great extent the history of the Belarusian musical culture and arts of the 20^th century.

Founded in 1932, the Belarusian Academy of Music has become a major centre of musical education, performance, composition and musicology. Famous musicians of their days stood at its cradle – composers N. Aladov and V. Zolotaryov, musicologists Yu. Dreisin and M. Matisson, pianists A. Klumov, G. Petrov and V. Semashko, violinists A. Besmertny and A. Vivien, cellists M. Orlov and B. Fidlon, double-bass players I. Solodchenko and M. Slovachevsky, horn player Ya. Stegenny, oboist G. Popovitsky, singer A. Bonachich, conductor I. Bari.

The first Director of the Belarusian State Conservatoire was M. Kazakov. During the pre-war time it was also headed by I. Pris, K. Bogushevich, O. Gantman, M. Berger, and after the World War II – by N. Aladov (1944–1948), A. Bogatyryov (1948–1962), V. Olovnikov (1962–1982), I. Louchenok (1982–1985), M. Kozinets (1985–2005).

Among the first graduates of the Conservatoire (in 1937) are A. Bogatyryov, M. Kroshner, P. Podkovyrov, A. Popov, V. Yefimov (composer's class of Prof. V. Zolotaryov). Later on, a national composing school formed at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, among its outstanding representatives are famous Belarusian composers L. Obeliovich, V. Olovnikov, A. Bogatyryov, G. Vagner, E. Glebov, I. Louchenok, Yu. Semenyako, E. Tyrmand and others.

International recognition has been won by the national performance school; its development was greatly contributed by M. Berger, I. Tsvetayeva, R. Shershevsky, V. Epstein (piano), A. Amiton, M. Bratennikov, M. Goldstein, V. Goldfeld, V. Parkhomenko (violin), P. Kirilchenko (viola), A. Stagorsky and B. Skoblo (cello), A. Khersonsky (contrabass), V. Kharitonov (flute), Yu. Tsyomkin (oboe), P. Denissov (trumpet), S. Oskolkov, Ya. Viting, A. Arsbely-Korinsky, M. Ludwig (signing), M. Maslov, V. Rovda (choral conducting), I. Abramis, I. Bukreyev, I. Gitgarts, V. Dubrovsky, V. Katayev, I. Moussin, M. Shneiderman, A. Engelbreht (orchestra conducting), E. Ozarevich, I. Zhinovich, G. Zhikharev (folk instruments) and others.

The Belarusian State Academy of Music has formed a scientific school of modern musicology, its development is linked with the names of famous Belarusian musicologists S. Nisnevich, L. Moukharinskaya, G. Glouschenko.