Kogan Leonid

Leonid Borisovich Kogan (November 17, 1924 - December 17, 1982) was a violin virtuoso and one of the 20th century's most famous Soviet violinists. He ranked among the greatest representatives of the Soviet School of violin playing.

Kogan was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for violin playing, his family moved to Moscow, where he was able to further his studies. From age ten he studied there with the noted violin pedagogue Abram Yampolsky. In 1934, Jascha Heifetz played concerts in Moscow. "I attended every one," Kogan later said, "and can remember until now every note he played. He was the ideal artist for me." When Kogan was 12, Jacques Thibaud was in Moscow and heard him play. The French virtuoso predicted a great future for Kogan.

Kogan studied at the Central Music School in Moscow (1934-43), then at the Moscow Conservatory (1943-48), where he studied as a postgraduate (1948-51).

At the age of 17, and while still a student, he performed throughout the USSR. He was co-winner of the first prize at the World Youth Festival in Prague. In 1951 Kogan won first prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels with a dazzling performance of Paganini's first concerto that included an outstanding interpretation of Sauret's cadenza.

His official debut was in 1941, playing the Brahms Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

His international solo tours took him to Paris and London in 1955, and then South America and the USA in the following years. Kogan had a repertoire of over 18 concerti and a number of concerti by modern composers were dedicated to him.

In 1952, Kogan began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory, and in 1980 he was invited to teach at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy.

Kogan, a brilliant and compelling violinist, shunned publicity. He lacked too some of the warmth and stage charisma of David Oistrakh, his senior by 16 years. His career was always overshadowed by that of Oistrakh, who was strongly promoted by the Soviet authorities. Kogan was made an Honoured Artist in 1955 and a People's Artist of the USSR in 1964. He received the Lenin Prize in 1965.

Kogan married Elizabeth Gilels (sister of pianist Emil Gilels), also a concert violinist. His son, Pavel Kogan (b. 1952) became a famous violinist and conductor. His daughter, Nina Kogan (b. 1954), is a concert pianist and became the accompanist and sonata partner of her father at an early age.

Kogan died of a heart attack in the city of Mytishchi, while travelling by train between Moscow and Yaroslavl to a concert he was to perform with his son. Two days before, he had played the Beethoven Concerto in Vienna.

Kogan was the only classical violinist of note who preferred to play on all steel strings (Thomastik brand). Most serious classical players prefer a steel E-string, and perhaps also steel A-string (as in case of David Oistrakh), while using gut or synthetics on the G and D strings. Steel gave Kogan more clarity and power, while sacrificing warmth, depth and sweetness associated with gut or synthetics.

Kogan used two Guarneri del Gesù violins: the 1726 ex-Colin and the 1733 ex-Burmester. He used French bows by Dominique Peccatte. Kogan never actually owned these instruments; they were provided on loan from the Soviet government. Today they are worth more than $4 million USD.

Kogan formed a Trio with pianist Gilels and cellist Rostropovich. Their recordings include Beethoven's Archduke Trio, the Schumann D minor, the Tchaikovsky, the Saint-Saëns, the Brahms Horn Trio, and the Fauré C minor Quartet with Rudolf Barshai (viola). Kogan later formed another Trio with the conductor Svetlanov on piano and cellist Luzanov. Kogan was the first Soviet violinist to play and record Berg's Violin concerto. He also made a famous recording of Khachaturian's violin concerto on RCA (his America debut recording), a version still considered the most exciting reading of the work. Kogan recorded violin concerti by other Soviet composers, including the two by Tikhon Khrennikov. There are more than 30 albums of his performances on the Arlecchino label. In 2006, EMI France issued a 4-CD box set ("Les Introuvables de Leonid Kogan") containing his concerto recordings for that label, all digitally remastered the same year.

Mr. Kogan recorded Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D Major opus 35, as well as the first ever recording of the Waltz Scherzo opus 34 with the Paris National Symphony Orchestra in the 1950s.