Zakhar Bron: “A combination of divine talent and uncompromising professionalism.” Most Famous Students

The word "maestro" means "teacher" in Italian. Zakhar Bron, who celebrated his seventieth birthday on December 17 (just!), has been passing on his art to children for more than forty years. Ask what art. My answer: the art of playing the violin. Someone will say: just think, they teach you to play the violin in every music school. I will also answer this: Bron teaches in a special way, his students grow into wonderful performers and become world celebrities.

December 18 on the CULTURE channel in the program “ the main role“We saw and heard the maestro Yulian Makarov. Zakhar Nukhimovich, who started his teaching career in Novosibirsk, at the local Glinka Conservatory, and who trained such giants there as Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov, is now in great demand. In 1989, together with his Novosibirsk students, the maestro moved to Germany. Nine years ago, after another master class in Switzerland, Zakhar Nukhimovich got the opportunity to found a music school for gifted children in Interlaken, a beautiful Swiss mountain resort between two lakes.

The school, as I understand it, is supported by sponsors. Young violinists study and live there for free, even travel is paid. I hear the voices of worried parents, especially mothers: “What does it take for my child to get there?” You don't need much, and that little doesn't cost any money. Talent required.

When asked by the presenter whether there were students from Russia at the school, Zakhar Bron answered in the affirmative. And I thought about this. Isn't it Russian authorities didn’t they know, didn’t they see that from Siberia, from the hands of Maestro Bron, magnificent musicians were emerging one after another? Vadim Repin at the age of 11 (1982) won the Wieniawski youth competition in Lublin, and seven years later he took first prize at the most prestigious adult competition named after Queen Elizabeth in Brussels.

Repin's younger comrade Maxim Vengerov, at the age of 10, won first prize at the Henryk Wieniawski competition. Nikolai Madoev and Natalya Prishchepenko grew up there, in Novosibirsk. Why not invite Bron to move to Moscow or St. Petersburg with his students? Give him the opportunity to teach at the capital's conservatories? Or create a special school for him and his students, as Switzerland did?

Is it really more pleasant for the authorities to part with talents than to cultivate them at home, increasing their talents, and thereby strengthening the international authority of the Russian performing school?

Who doesn’t know the name of Professor Auer, the creator of the “violin school” at the St. Petersburg Conservatory? It was his students - Misha Elman, Efrem Zimbalist, Anton Seidel, Jascha Heifetz - who conquered America in the 20th century and traveled everywhere musical theaters peace. It's easy to pay attention to Jewish surnames celebrities. Almost all of them were born or at least studied in Odessa. The profession of a musician opened up the prospect for Jewish children to “see the world”, to win fame, recognition, and money.

Zakhar Bron was born in the city of Uralsk, Kazakh SSR, but he studied violin in Odessa, at the famous school named after Pyotr Solomonovich Stolyarsky. Here is another name, without which there would be no Soviet violin school. Stolyarsky raised Nathan Milstein, Busya Goldstein, and the great David Oistrakh. This means that the old teacher had special secrets that allowed him to nurture musical geniuses. The maestro passed on these secrets to his students and those who continued his work. I have no doubt that Zakhar Bron in his pedagogical practice uses the techniques he learned at his Alma mater, the Stolyarsky school.

Let's say it again: in the matter of nurturing talent special role the teacher plays. There are also unique cases. Evgeny Kissin, a famous pianist, takes with him on all his tours his “professor” Anna Pavlovna Kantor, the only teacher in his entire life who nurtured his talent from the moment he entered the Gnesin secondary special music school.

Zakhar Bron continues to give concerts himself and claims that his students help him not to lose his form as a performing musician. And yet his main calling is teaching.

It’s bad when a teacher is forgotten, when his students don’t remember him. Zakhar Bron sets a different example. In a program on the KULTURA channel, he listed all his teachers - Arthur Zisserman (his teacher at the Stolyarsky school), Igor Oistrakh (professor at the Moscow Conservatory) and Boris Goldstein (teacher at the Gnessin Moscow Music College).

Zakhar Nukhimovich said in the program that he organized a competition named after Busya Goldstein.

And then I remembered something. Not long ago I received a book as a gift from one of our authors, who made his debut in CHAIKA with essays about musicians. Most likely, regular readers of the magazine know this name - Grigory Kupershtein.

His most interesting essays went under the heading “Odessa guys”, under the same name a book was published, which, by the way, I was happy to write a review of. So, in this book there is a section “Losers”.

And this section included... who do you think? Busya Goldstein. The same Boris Goldstein, in whose honor the grateful student Zakhar Bron established his competition. As I understand it, Busya’s main failure, according to the author of the book, was that he lived in the Soviet Union and only left for Germany in 1974.

His colleague and peer Mikhail Elman made in the West brilliant career, the career of Busi, who was a child prodigy in his childhood, and in his youth won the fourth prize at the prestigious Eugene Ysaÿe competition in Brussels (1937), withered due to the lack of halls and audiences, that is, concerts. It remains to teach at Moscow music school, where Zakhar Bron studied with him.

A small point given in Kuperstein’s book. When, having heard Boris Goldstein play, Alexander Sveshnikov wanted to take him on as a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, not one of its professors gave the musician a recommendation. And here is what Kuperstein writes about Boris Goldstein’s performance of Wieniawski’s first concert: “I have never heard such a powerful sound live. And since then I don’t remember anyone sounding like that.”

Why am I doing all this? Yes, all the same - to the memory of our teachers, sometimes underestimated, forgotten or deliberately consigned to oblivion.

I decided to illustrate this column not only with a program with the participation of Maestro Bron, but also with the performance of one of his famous students. I listened to Sibelius's violin concerto performed by Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov. I love Repin, he is Lately simply radiates happiness; apparently, the union with Svetlana Zakharova and the birth of his daughter brought the musician a powerful impetus for life and creativity.

But I stopped at the video recording of the concert performed by Maxim Vengerov. This recording is mesmerizing. In the architecturally stunning arena of the Cologne Philharmonic, Sibelius's concert was performed accompanied by the Chicago symphony orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

It was impossible to tear myself away from this music; I listened to the three-part concert twice in a row. Maxim Vengerov and Daniel Berenboim, in my opinion, found each other in this essay.

And finally, let’s return to Zakhar Bron. How happy a person should be to whom parents from all over the world bring their most precious thing - their children - to learn skills!

Zakhar Nukhimovich, it’s so difficult to find a wish for you! The main thing is that this pilgrimage continues, so that health does not fail, so that it does not become boring to tinker with the young animals. Although... I think this is not a threat to you - like any real teacher.

TO anal CULTURE, program “Main Role”

Sibelius Violin Concerto performed by Maxim Vengerov and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim

Imagine that you come to a lesson, and the teacher tells you: “Play what is written and go yourself.” It is necessary to give the student a recommendation that would regulate the entire process.

This is how Professor Bron responded to the timid remark “but it’s written like that” made by the Russian violinist Yuri Revich when they were working on the Adagio from Bach’s Sonata No. 1 during a master class in Verbier.

During the week, Zakhar Nukhimovich Bron came to Chalet Orny, a small cozy house, where the classes were held, by 9.15 - fifteen minutes before the start. Sometimes by car, more often on foot, wearing a light suit and black sandals. He came, looked around, took the violin out of its case, checked the messages on his phone, shook hands with the arriving participants and spectators, smiled...

And at exactly 9.30 a lesson began, a demonstration performance, a white magic session, whatever you want to call it. Even when the explanations were given in German, which was incomprehensible to me (and not in understandable English or Russian), from Bron’s movements, gestures, facial expressions and, of course, from the examples he himself showed, it became clear what he was trying to achieve from the student, what the next stage in knowledge would be violin art is trying to bring it out.

Professor at the Cologne, Zurich and Madrid Conservatories and honorary professor at many others, Zakhar Bron has trained more than 120 violinists. Some of them, like Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov, have long been among the musical elite, the names of others - Kirill Trusov, Daniel Hope, Mikhail Ovrutsky, David Garrett - can be regularly seen on the posters of the best concert halls in the world. By the way, Trusov and Hope performed excellently at the current Festival in Verbier.


Professor Bron's schedule here is extremely intense: in the morning there is a master class, in the afternoon - classes with students who have come from different parts and auditions for potential new ones, of whom there have already been eight in just a few days! Therefore, we were able to talk only at lunch.

Nasha Gazeta.sh: Zakhar Nukhimovich, you are coming to Verbier for the fourth time. Are you interested here?

Zakhar Bron: Verbier is undoubtedly an outstanding festival - best artists, a diverse program, plus the Academy, plus a lot more... But we must understand that within the framework of such a large event, everything cannot be the same and flawless, because in our field there is no limit to perfection. Therefore, when your fellow journalists, by inertia, speak equally enthusiastically about everything that happens here, this does not suit me. Everything can't be genius.


There are legends about your method. Is there really some kind of “Bron’s secret”?

You know, there were rumors about me Various speculations: about some special technologies, about the fact that I can only teach Russians... But after all, it is his students who speak most eloquently for a teacher, and my list is very international. When studying with one student, I do not strive to make a copy of another, even the best, but I try to achieve maximum connection in each divine gift and uncompromising professionalism.

I have repeatedly heard complaints from young musicians, including participants at the Academy in Verbier, about the authoritarianism of Russian teachers, who believe that it should be done this way and not otherwise, and do not allow other opinions. What do you say about this?

This is a serious question, and the answer is ambiguous. First of all, we need to understand what authoritarianism is, and what do young people understand about it? The profession of a teacher requires special talent, such as
to and any other field of art. For me personally, a teacher is someone who has results, that is, students who have achieved success. Not every high-class performer can and wants to teach, that is, to delve into all the nuances of the craft, understand them and try to explain them to a younger colleague.

In my generation, all musicians wanted to become laureates of international competitions. Or sit in a good orchestra. Or even to the orchestra. Or at worst, if nothing else works out, go teach.

We must understand that often, both here and in the West, people become teachers who do not have the right to do so, and in this case their authoritarian opinion is certainly detrimental. But real masters, and here in Verbier there are only such, have the right to their own special opinion. Another thing is that you need to be able to learn from them.

So you think that the teacher is always right?


You know, one of my first trips to the West was to London, where I gave a master class at the Royal Academy of Music. And he gave his first interview. Imagine my horror when I saw it in the newspaper under the heading “Professor Bron’s method is the method of Comrade Stalin.” And why? I was asked if I believe in democracy? To which I replied that if they explain to me what democracy is in intonation and rhythm, I will answer yes.

A teacher by vocation is distinguished by the ability not only to convince a young colleague that his method is correct, but also to make him feel that he can improve something, grow a little right now, in the lesson.

Who did you study with?

This is what I just wanted to say. My first teacher for six years was the absolutely brilliant, now unfairly forgotten violinist Boris - everyone called him Busya - Goldstein. What he gave me, I could never get anywhere else. But apparently I was somehow able to understand him, because no one else from his class came out.

In general, remembering my years of study, I understand that I was very lucky; I found a golden period in music in Moscow. In addition to Busya Goldstein, I studied in the class of Igor Oistrakh, and communication with David Fedorovich Oistrakh,
Of course, these are unforgettable pages in my life. I owe everything to these people.

How did you, a laureate of an international competition and a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, end up in Novosibirsk?

Not by at will, I’ll tell you honestly. It was 1974, a terrible year for Soviet music- deprivation of Rostropovich's citizenship, the beginning of departures of musicians... And I was finishing my graduate studies at the Conservatory and was waiting for distribution, since I was not the happy owner of a Moscow residence permit. Coincidentally, in June of that year, an all-Union selection competition for violinists to participate in the Paganini Competition in Genoa was held in Moscow, and I won it. And I had to go to Genoa in September for the competition. It is clear that I hoped that I would perform well there, receive an invitation to concerts and escape from distribution. But, if you remember, then without the signature of the local committee, trade union committee, and so on, traveling abroad was impossible. And to receive them, my signature on the distribution was needed. I was offered Sverdlovsk or Novosibirsk, and I chose
he was the last to call, since he already knew someone there. However, he was sure that it would not come to that. But it so happened that on August 20 it was announced that, by decision of the Soviet government, the participation of our violinists in the Paganini Competition was cancelled. So, on a hot summer day, the word Siberia appeared in my biography.

However, note what fate means - on August 20, 1974, Maxim Vengerov was born, who became my student. And this September I will head the jury of the Paganini Competition in Genoa.

You stayed in Novosibirsk for 14 years, it was there that your teaching talent manifested itself, there in your Both Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin came to the class. How did this happen?

Again, fate intervened. At that time, everything was regulated, I had a rate at the Conservatory - 140 rubles, but from good attitude I was allowed to combine and work part-time at a regional music school. And five-year-old Vadik Repin was brought to this school to learn to play the button accordion, like his father and grandfather. And just imagine, Vadik was not accepted based on his abilities and was sent to violin, since there was no competition in this department!

And yet you left...

I left to teach already in 1989. And Novosibirsk had nothing to do with it - we were tired of our bureaucrats’ mockery of art. Accepting the invitation of the Higher Music School of Lübeck, in Germany, I set one condition - that they find sponsors for the training of my best students. That's how we all left then. However, I visit Novosibirsk regularly, I have already held the International Violin Competition there three times, and the Conservatory even has a department named after me.

How do they get into your class?

Well, they find, write, come to auditions... During this Festival alone, eight people have already applied.

And you can immediately make a diagnosis - talent or not? Or are there mistakes?

I rarely make mistakes, but I agree this way - we’ll work for two or three weeks, and then we’ll decide. However, it happens to correct the mistakes of others. So, one day they brought me to Japanese boy. He had already studied at the Juilliard School in New York, but was declared ineligible. I took it and we started practicing. In 1996, this boy, Daishin Kashimoto, won First Prize at the Long and Thibaut Competition in Paris, and now he is first violin of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

Are you still interested
but teach?

If you meet real talent, then you immediately forget all your fatigue, new ideas appear that you want to immediately implement.

Returning to the Verbier Festival, do you think that any of the participants in the master class will be of any use, so to speak?

I really liked two of them - our boy Yuri Revich, he studies in Vienna, and the Finnish Linda Barlund, who now plays in the Orchestra of Romance Switzerland in Geneva. They are very promising guys.

In general, the beauty of the Verbier Festival is that here you can lay the foundations of a real career, which is why it enjoys such authority.

Thank you, Zakhar Nukhimovich, for your time. I wish you cheerfulness and good students!

From the editor: September 3 in Zurich concert hall Tonhalle there will be a concert by students of Zakhar Bron, organized by the Foundation bearing his name. We will tell you in more detail about this event, which will certainly be of interest to many. young musicians and their parents.

Zakhar Nukhimovich Bron(b. 1947) - Russian and German violinist and music teacher.

Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1985), People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2001), holder of the Order of Merit Federal Republic Germany".

At the January musical evenings"The violinists shone - National artist Russia Zakhar Bron and his student - a ten-year-old Japanese girl, winner of the 1st Prize of the XI International...

Biography

Born into the family of Nukhim Zalmanovich Bron, who was evacuated with a defense plant to Uralsk from the Bessarabian town of Romanovka at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Studied violin making in Odessa in Music school Stolyarsky in the class of Arthur Zisserman, then at the Moscow Gnessin School in the class of Boris Goldstein, from 1966 at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Igor Oistrakh, after which (1971) he remained at the conservatory as an assistant. Participated in significant international competitions, in 1977 received third prize International competition violinists named after Wieniawski.

Bron's main achievements, however, are associated with his pedagogical activity, which began in 1974 at the Novosibirsk Conservatory. Glinka. One of Bron's first students was Vadim Repin, who already won in 1982 at the age of 11 youth competition violinists named after Wieniawski in Lublin, and seven years later won the Queen Elizabeth Competition.

In 1989, Zakhar Bron, together with his family and students - Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov, Nikolai Madoev and Natalya Prishchepenko - moved to Germany (Lübeck), where he received an offer to take the position of professor at Lübeck high school music (conservatory).

Since 1997, Z. Bron has been a professor at the Higher School of Music in Cologne. Since 2002, professor at the Zurich University of Music.

Zakhar Bron works mainly in Western Europe, as well as Japan; he is also a professor at the Royal Academies of London and Madrid, Rotterdam, music academy Kronberg (Taunus); honorary professor at conservatories in Japan, Poland, Bulgaria and others. In 2010, Z. Bron founded his own school for musically gifted children in Switzerland.

Primary residence Zurich (Switzerland)

Son is a cellist Daniil Bron, graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Professor Natalia Shakhovskaya.

Most Famous Students

• Andrey Andreev, Honored Artist of Russia
• Maxim Vengerov
• Yuri Volgin - Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation
• David Garrett
• Alexander Gilman
• Vadim Gluzman
• Arkadi Gutnikov
• So Young Yoon
• Alerksandr Gusev
• Tamaki Kawakubo
• Mayuko Kamio
• Daishin Kashimoto
• Nicholas Koeckert
• Berent Korfker
• Mayu Kishima
• Ilya Konovalov
• Nadezhda Korshakova
• Marina Kuzina (Prof. Novosibirsk Conservatory)
• Roman Kuryliv
• Nikolay Madoev ( tj.: Nikolay Madoyan)
• Igor Malinovsky
• Melina Mandozzi
• Alissa Margulis
• Priya Mitchell
• Leticia Moreno
• Mikhail Ovrutsky
• Keisuke Okazaki
• Marta Pasquini
• Natalya Prishchepenko
• Linus Roth
• Stefan Tarara
• Thomas Timm
• Kirill Troussov
• Sergey Fatkulin
• David Frühwirth
• Chloe Hanslip
• Latica Honda-Rosenberg
• Daniel Hope
• Artur Chermonov
• Vyacheslav Shestiglazov
• Sayaka Shoji
• Erik Schumann – the German grumbled something.
  Several wounded were walking along the road. Curses, screams, moans merged into one common roar. The shooting died down and, as Rostov later learned, Russian and Austrian soldiers were shooting at each other.
  "My God! what is this? - thought Rostov. - And here, where the sovereign can see them at any moment... But no, these are probably just a few scoundrels. This will pass, this is not it, this cannot be, he thought. “Just hurry up, pass them quickly!”