Eugen Indjic
Encyclopedia
Eugen Indjic is a French
-American
pianist
.
. Emigrating to the United States
with his Russian mother, an amateur pianist, at the age of four, he there became fascinated by the piano
four years later after hearing a recording of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu
and Polonaise in A flat major. Moved by a desire to master these pieces, he took systematic piano lessons with Georgian pianist, Liubov Stephani.
Eugen Indjic made his first public performance at the age of nine, appearing with the Springfield, Mass.
Youth Orchestra in Mozart’s D-minor Piano Concerto
. After two years, Mrs. Stephani introduced her young pupil to Alexander Borovsky, the eminent Russian pianist, pupil of Anna Yesipova
and classmate of Serge Prokofiev, who taught him in Boston University
for the next five years (1959–1964).
At the age of 11, he was already playing Liszt
’s Campanella and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 on NBC
television and at 12, made his first recording for RCA Victor on Rachmaninov’s own piano, playing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
.
At 13, he performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto in E flat major
and a year later the Brahms' Piano Concerto n°2
with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra.
Between 1961 and 1969, invited by Arthur Fiedler
, Eugen Indjic appeared numerous times each season with the Boston Pops Orchestra
. His first concert tour (consisting of 13 concerts) was in Denmark (1963), together with Alexander Borovsky. “He plays Chopin as a pole, Debussy as a Frenchman and Prokofiev as a Russian master” wrote the Politiken
of Copenhagen
.
After his graduation in 1965 from Phillips Academy Andover, Erich Leinsdorf
invited him to play Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony, making him the youngest soloist ever to appear with that orchestra.
"Leonard-Bernstein Scholar" at Harvard University
, he studied musicology and composition with Laurence D. Berman and Leon Kirchner
, graduating “cum laude” in 1969. Leonard Bernstein
qualified him as “an extraordinary pianist and musician” and Emil Gilels
called him “a unique and inspired artist”.
While in Harvard, he also took private lessons at the Juilliard School
with Mieczysław Munz and Rosina Lhévinne
’s apprentice Lee Thompson.
In 1968, he met Arthur Rubinstein
, who remained a friend and mentor until his death, calling Indjic “a world-class pianist of rare musical and artistic perfection”.
He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger
in Paris and then definitely settled in France in 1972 after marrying Odile Rabaud, granddaughter of the French composer Henri Rabaud
, who succeeded Fauré
as director of the Paris Conservatory, and coincidentally in 1919 the first French conductor of the Boston Symphony.
Prize-winner of three international contests - Warsaw (1970), Leeds
(1972), and Rubinstein Tel Aviv (1974) - Indjic has performed with the leading orchestras of the United States, Europe and Asia, and under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Fedoseyev
, Valery Gergiev
, Eugen Jochum
, Rafael Kubelik
, Erich Leinsdorf
, Kurt Sanderling
, Giuseppe Sinopoli
, Georg Solti
, Edo de Waart
and David Zinman
, among others.
He continues to play regularly on great world stages such as Carnegie Hall
Isaac Stern Auditorium, Avery Fisher Hall
, Queen Elizabeth Hall
, the Concertgebouw
Grote Zaal, the Musikverein, Salle Pleyel
and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
, Bolshoi Hall
, La Scala
.
Eugen Indjic was invited to participate in a televised co-production (France, Poland, Japan) of Chopin’s complete works and has recorded for Polskie Nagrania / Muza
, Columbia Records, RCA Victor, Claves and Calliope.
His discography includes works by Chopin (Piano Concertos, complete Ballades
, Scherzi, Impromptus, Sonatas and Mazurkas
) Debussy, Schumann
, Prokofiev, as well as Beethoven.
Arte Nova Classics has released live performances with the SWF Orchestra
of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in B-flat minor
with Ahronovich and Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Variations
with Sinopoli.
His recording of Chopin’s Mazurkas was doubly acclaimed because of the Joyce Hatto
hoax. The English pianist signed her name to this disc and received rave reviews.
In addition to performing, Indjic regularly teaches master classes in Europe, Japan and the United States, and is a frequent jury member of international competitions including the Chopin, Liszt Wroclaw, Rubinstein Tel Aviv, Prague Spring Festival, Lisbon Vianna Da Motta
.
In 2010, he was named “artist-in-residence” at the Prague Symphony Orchestra
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Biography
His father was an army general under King Peter II of YugoslaviaPeter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
. Emigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his Russian mother, an amateur pianist, at the age of four, he there became fascinated by the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
four years later after hearing a recording of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu
Fantaisie-Impromptu
Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. 66, is a solo piano composition and one of his best-known pieces. It was composed in 1834 and dedicated to Julian Fontana, who published the piece in spite of Chopin's request not to do so....
and Polonaise in A flat major. Moved by a desire to master these pieces, he took systematic piano lessons with Georgian pianist, Liubov Stephani.
Eugen Indjic made his first public performance at the age of nine, appearing with the Springfield, Mass.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
Youth Orchestra in Mozart’s D-minor Piano Concerto
Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1785. The first performance took place at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist.-Background:...
. After two years, Mrs. Stephani introduced her young pupil to Alexander Borovsky, the eminent Russian pianist, pupil of Anna Yesipova
Anna Yesipova
Anna Yesipova was a prominent Russian pianist. Her name is cited variously as Anna Esipova; Anna or Annette Essipova; Anna, Annette or Annetta Essipoff; Annette von Essipow; Anna Jessipowa.Yesipova was one of Teodor Leszetycki's most brilliant pupils...
and classmate of Serge Prokofiev, who taught him in Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
for the next five years (1959–1964).
At the age of 11, he was already playing Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
’s Campanella and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television and at 12, made his first recording for RCA Victor on Rachmaninov’s own piano, playing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Diabelli Variations
The 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120, commonly known as the Diabelli Variations, is a set of variations for the piano written between 1819 and 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven on a waltz composed by Anton Diabelli...
.
At 13, he performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto in E flat major
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Liszt)
Franz Liszt composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S.124 over a 26-year period; the main themes date from 1830, while the final version dates 1849. The concerto consists of four movements, which are performed without breaks in between, and lasts approximately 20 minutes...
and a year later the Brahms' Piano Concerto n°2
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 by Johannes Brahms is a composition for solo piano with orchestral accompaniment. It is separated by a gap of 22 years from the composer's first piano concerto. Brahms began work on the piece in 1878 and completed it in 1881 while in Pressbaum near...
with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra.
Between 1961 and 1969, invited by Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
, Eugen Indjic appeared numerous times each season with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
. His first concert tour (consisting of 13 concerts) was in Denmark (1963), together with Alexander Borovsky. “He plays Chopin as a pole, Debussy as a Frenchman and Prokofiev as a Russian master” wrote the Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
After his graduation in 1965 from Phillips Academy Andover, Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf was a naturalized American Austrian conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for exacting standards as well as an acerbic personality...
invited him to play Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony, making him the youngest soloist ever to appear with that orchestra.
"Leonard-Bernstein Scholar" at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, he studied musicology and composition with Laurence D. Berman and Leon Kirchner
Leon Kirchner
Leon Kirchner was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his String Quartet No. 3.Kirchner was born in Brooklyn, New York...
, graduating “cum laude” in 1969. Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
qualified him as “an extraordinary pianist and musician” and Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
called him “a unique and inspired artist”.
While in Harvard, he also took private lessons at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
with Mieczysław Munz and Rosina Lhévinne
Rosina Lhévinne
Rosina Bessie Lhévinne was a Russian American pianist and famed pedagogue....
’s apprentice Lee Thompson.
In 1968, he met Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers...
, who remained a friend and mentor until his death, calling Indjic “a world-class pianist of rare musical and artistic perfection”.
He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
in Paris and then definitely settled in France in 1972 after marrying Odile Rabaud, granddaughter of the French composer Henri Rabaud
Henri Rabaud
Henri Rabaud was a French conductor and composer, who held important posts in the French musical establishment and upheld mainly conservative trends in French music in the first half of the twentieth century....
, who succeeded Fauré
Faure
Faure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
as director of the Paris Conservatory, and coincidentally in 1919 the first French conductor of the Boston Symphony.
Prize-winner of three international contests - Warsaw (1970), Leeds
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
The Leeds International Piano Competition informally known as The Leeds takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963...
(1972), and Rubinstein Tel Aviv (1974) - Indjic has performed with the leading orchestras of the United States, Europe and Asia, and under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Fedoseyev
Vladimir Fedoseyev
Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev is a Russian conductor.Fedoseyev graduated from the Gnessin State Musical College 1957, and Moscow Conservatory 1972. From 1974 artistic director and chief conductor of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio 1974-1999. He has also served as principal...
, Valery Gergiev
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,...
, Eugen Jochum
Eugen Jochum
Eugen Jochum was an eminent German conductor.Born in Babenhausen, near Augsburg, Germany, Jochum studied the piano and organ in Augsburg until 1922. He then studied conducting in Munich...
, Rafael Kubelik
Rafael Kubelík
Rafael Jeroným Kubelík was a Czech conductor and composer.-Early life:Kubelík was born in Býchory, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary, today's Czech Republic. He was the sixth child of the Bohemian violinist Jan Kubelík, whom the younger Kubelík described as "a kind of god to me." His mother was a Hungarian...
, Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf
Erich Leinsdorf was a naturalized American Austrian conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for exacting standards as well as an acerbic personality...
, Kurt Sanderling
Kurt Sanderling
Kurt Sanderling, CBE was a German conductor.-Biography:Kurt Sanderling was born in Arys, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire to Jewish parents. After early work at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, he left for the Soviet Union in 1936, where he worked with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra...
, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Giuseppe Sinopoli
-Biography:Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin and at Darmstadt, including being mentored in composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen...
, Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
, Edo de Waart
Edo de Waart
Edo de Waart is a Dutch conductor, and the Music Director of both the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra....
and David Zinman
David Zinman
David Zinman is an American conductor and violinist.After early violin studies at the Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota and took up conducting at Tanglewood...
, among others.
He continues to play regularly on great world stages such as Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
Isaac Stern Auditorium, Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
, the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
Grote Zaal, the Musikverein, Salle Pleyel
Salle Pleyel
The Salle Pleyel is a concert hall in Paris, France. The resident ensembles are the Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.-History and Design:...
and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
, Bolshoi Hall
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
, La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
.
Eugen Indjic was invited to participate in a televised co-production (France, Poland, Japan) of Chopin’s complete works and has recorded for Polskie Nagrania / Muza
Polskie Nagrania Muza
Polskie Nagrania "Muza" is a major state-owned Polsih record label located in Warsaw. It was established in 1956 after the merger of the vinyl record factory "Muza" and the record house Polskie Nagrania...
, Columbia Records, RCA Victor, Claves and Calliope.
His discography includes works by Chopin (Piano Concertos, complete Ballades
Ballades (Chopin)
Frédéric Chopin's four ballades are one-movement pieces for solo piano, composed between 1835 and 1842. They are some of the most challenging pieces in the standard piano repertoire....
, Scherzi, Impromptus, Sonatas and Mazurkas
Mazurkas (Chopin)
Over the years 1825-1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 69 mazurkas, based on the traditional Polish dance :* 58 have been published** 45 during Chopin's lifetime, of which 41 have opus numbers...
) Debussy, Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, Prokofiev, as well as Beethoven.
Arte Nova Classics has released live performances with the SWF Orchestra
Südwestrundfunk
The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in B-flat minor
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Tchaikovsky)
The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between November 1874 and February 1875. It was revised in the summer of 1879 and again in December 1888. The first version received heavy criticism from Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky's desired pianist....
with Ahronovich and Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Variations
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is written for solo piano and symphony orchestra, closely resembling a piano concerto. The work was written at Villa Senar, according to the score, from July 3 to August 18, 1934...
with Sinopoli.
His recording of Chopin’s Mazurkas was doubly acclaimed because of the Joyce Hatto
Joyce Hatto
Joyce Hatto was a British pianist and piano teacher. She became famous late in life, when unauthorised copies of commercial recordings made by other pianists were released under her name, earning her high praise from critics. The fraud did not come to light until a few months after her...
hoax. The English pianist signed her name to this disc and received rave reviews.
In addition to performing, Indjic regularly teaches master classes in Europe, Japan and the United States, and is a frequent jury member of international competitions including the Chopin, Liszt Wroclaw, Rubinstein Tel Aviv, Prague Spring Festival, Lisbon Vianna Da Motta
Vianna da Motta International Music Competition
The Vianna da Motta International Music Competition was first constituted in 1957 in Lisbon in honor of José Vianna da Motta by his disciple Sequeira Costa, who remains its president; this inaugural edition was won by Naum Shtarkman. The competition, a member of the World Federation of...
.
In 2010, he was named “artist-in-residence” at the Prague Symphony Orchestra
Prague Symphony Orchestra
The Prague Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1934 by Rudolf Pekárek. In the 1930s the orchestra performed the scores for many Czech films, and also appeared regularly on Czech radio. An early promoter of the orchestra was Dr...
.
External links
- http://www.eugenindjic.com/ Official Website