David Oïstrakh

David Oistrakh is regarded as one of the finest classical violinists produced by the Soviet Union. Acclaimed in his homeland before, during and after World War II he gained an international reputation of the highest order after he was allowed to perform in countries such as Finland, Italy, France and the UK along with his American debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1955. He made many recordings and earned ten Grammy Award nominations with two wins. Born in Odessa in what is now Ukraine, he learned to play the violin as a child, studied at the Odessa Conservatory with Pyotr Stolyarsky, made his debut in Moscow in 1929 and gained attention in regional competitions winning first prize in Belgium's International Ysaÿe Competition in 1937. He performed throughout the Soviet Union and made many recordings of classical repertoire. His first Grammy Award nomination came in 1962 for Best Solo Classical Performance for 'Brahms: Concerto in D for Violin'. He picked up further nominations in that category for 'Hindemith: Concerto for Violin' (1963), 'Brahms: Concerto in D Major for Violin' (1970), 'Brahms: Double Concerto (Concerto in A Minor for Violin and Cello)' (1970), 'Beethoven: Triple Concerto (Concerto in C Major for Violin, Piano and Cello, Op. 56)' (1971) and 'Mozart: Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra' (1972). His 1970 Brahms recording also was nominated as Classical Album of the Year and he was nominated for Best Chamber Music for 'Shostakovich: Sonata for Violin and Piano' in 1972. He continued to play recitals and perform with the world's leading orchestras and became a conductor and teacher celebrated for his modesty and gentle wit. He suffered a heart attack in 1964 and curtailed his touring. He conducted six concerts of Brahms works with the Amsterdam Philharmonic in 1974 and died in a hotel in the city later that year. A 17-disc collection titled 'David Oistrakh: The Complete EMI Recordings' came out in 2008 and a 22-disc set 'The David Oistrakh Edition: Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips & Westminster' was released in 2016.

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