Viktor Alexandrovich Pikayzen (1933, Kyiv – 2022) was an outstanding Soviet and Russian violinist, teacher, and laureate of international competitions. He was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR in 1979 and People’s Artist of the RSFSR in 1989. Pikayzen was also a professor at the Moscow Conservatory.
Viktor Pikayzen took his first steps in learning to play the violin at the age of five, starting lessons in 1939. His education continued at the Music School at the Kyiv Conservatory (1941–1944), then at the Moscow Secondary Special Music School named after the Gnesins, under the guidance of David Oistrakh, with whom he also studied at the Moscow Conservatory and in the postgraduate program, completing his studies in 1960. Pikayzen became the only student of Oistrakh to complete the entire path from school to postgraduate studies.
Starting in the early 1960s, Pikayzen actively performed on the concert stage. One of his unique achievements was performing all of Paganini’s caprices 78 times at various concerts. His last performance took place in 2004 in Milan and was a great success. Pikaizen received second prizes at international competitions in Prague (1949), Paris (1957), and Moscow (the Tchaikovsky Competition, 1958). In 1965, he became the winner of the Paganini Competition. From 1966 to 1986 and from 2006 to 2016, he taught at the Moscow Conservatory, and from 1993 — at the State Conservatory in Ankara (Turkey). In addition, he was a teacher at the violin department at the Shnitke Moscow State Institute of Music and at the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory. He was also repeatedly invited to serve on the juries of various music competitions.
Among his students are K. Blazan (Poland), A. Hans (France), B. Kotmel (Czech Republic), V. Sedov, A. Vedyakova, Yu. Revich, N. Tsinman, and T. Martynova.
Pikayzen’s playing was characterized by high technical skill and nobility of style. His interpretations of works by J. S. Bach and Niccolò Paganini are especially well‑known. His repertoire included both classical violin concertos and works by contemporary composers such as Bartók, Khachaturian, and Weinberg. In honor of Pikaise, one of the most significant violin concertos of the 20th century, composed by B. Tchaikovsky, was written. The premiere of this work took place in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on April 25, 1970, under the direction of conductor K. Kondrashin.
