Lev Vlasenko (1928-1996) was a Soviet and Russian pianist and teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1991).
Lev Vlasenko was born on December 24, 1928 in Tbilisi into the family of Nikolai Apollonovich Vlasenko and Vera Solomonovna Benditskaya.
He received his musical education first from his mother, a graduate of the Tbilisi Conservatory, then from A. D. Virsaladze, in a group for gifted children at the Tbilisi Conservatory.
At the age of ten he made his debut at the Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theater in Tbilisi, performing Ludwig van Beethoven's First Piano Concerto.
In 1953 he graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in piano class with J. V. Flier, and in 1958 he completed postgraduate studies under his guidance. At the same time he studied at the evening department of the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages, graduating in 1954. He was fluent in English, French and Italian.
The pianist's talent became apparent in his brilliant performances at international competitions. In 1956 the pianist won the International Liszt Competition in Budapest and two years later he won the First International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, losing first prize to Van Cliburn.
In 1958 he began his career as a concert pianist. He played extensively in Russia and abroad. His repertoire includes works by Liszt, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Scarlatti, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Brahms, Debussy, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and others.
From 1952 he taught piano at the Moscow Choir School (now the V. S. Popov Academy of Choral Art), then at the Gnessin Music School (now the Gnessin College). For 39 years (since 1957) he taught at the Moscow Conservatory, rising from assistant to Professor Y. V. Flier to head of the department (from 1965 - associate professor, from 1976 - professor). Since the early 1990s he has been a professor at Indiana University in Bloomington and the New England School of Music in Boston (both in the USA).
Many of his students have gone on to become winners and laureates of international competitions and leading teachers at conservatories in Russia, the former Soviet republics, and foreign countries. Among his students are a number of renowned pianists, including Mikhail Pletnev, Nikolai Suk, Theophilus Bikis, Zhania Aubakirova, Calle Randalou, Renna Shereshevskaya, Farida Nourizadeh, Igor Yavryan, Karine Ohanyan, Vladimir Daich, Eustace Dvarionas, Suren Zakaryan, Natalia Zaitseva, Boris Petrov, Natalia Vlasenko, Oleg Stepanov, Alexander Strukov, Viktor Shestopal, Dmitry Grigortsevich, Duncan Gifford and others.
He has been a jury member of many prestigious international competitions in Santander, Sydney, Tokyo, Montreal, Athens, Bolzano, Warsaw (named after F. Chopin) and Budapest (named after F. Liszt). In 1994 he was Chairman of the Jury of the 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition. He headed the Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Laureates, then EPTA - RUSSIA, the Russian branch of the European Piano Teachers' Association. For many years he has been a member of the board of the Central House of Art Workers.
He has made numerous appearances on television and radio. Recorded 22 gramophone records. CDs with his recordings have been released.
He founded the Tchaikovsky Children's Competition.
For the last two years he lived in Brisbane (Australia), where he taught at the Queensland Conservatory of Music at Griffith University. In 1996, Griffith University awarded him the degree of Doctor in recognition of his great contribution to the development of the piano school in Australia.
Lev Nikolayevich Vlasenko died on August 24, 1996 in Brisbane.
In 1999, Australia's largest national Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition was established in Brisbane in memory of the world-renowned performer and teacher.
