Emil Gilels

Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (Russian Эмиль Григорьевич Гилельс; * 6.jul / October 19 1916greg in Odessa, .. † 14 October 1985 in Moscow) was a Russian pianist. In addition to Sviatoslav Richter, he was considered the most important Soviet pianist of his generation.

At age six, he began playing the piano. In 1930 he began to study piano at the Conservatory in Odessa. He won in 1933 the first prize at the newly established Soviet music competition. After studying in Moscow with Heinrich Neuhaus in 1938 he won the Concours Reine Elisabeth Musical in Brussels, where he sat and Others v. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

Sergei Prokofiev dedicated Emil Gilels 1942 his 8th Piano Sonata, premiered by Gilels.

As one of the first Soviet artist, he debuted in 1955 with the first Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in the USA.

In the center of its extensive repertoire were the Viennese classics and works by Schumann, Brahms, but also compositions of baroque music and 20th century. So he developed together with Gidon Kremer and Lazar Gosman as a member of the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra workups of more than 200 works of chamber music, including pieces by Dmitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten. The international Emil Gilels - Memorial Project Foundation of Emil Gilels on the Internet provides an insight into the life and work of the musician. Emil Gilels The Foundation will organize a festival Emil Gilels published every two years. The first took place from 26 to 31 March 2012 held in Freiburg.

Awards (selection)

• Stalin Prize, 1946
• Order of Lenin, three times, most recently in 1961
• Lenin Prize, 1962
• Hero of Socialist Labor
• Order of Leopold
• Commandeur de l' Ordre du Mérite Culturel de Paris, 1967