Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Vojkan Lazarevitch was a renowned classical music artist who was born on December 12, 1932, in Belgrade, Serbia. He was a pianist, conductor, and composer who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Lazarevitch's musical journey began at a young age when he started playing the piano. He showed exceptional talent and was soon recognized as a prodigy. He received his formal education at the Belgrade Music Academy, where he studied piano with Ljubica Maric and composition with Marko Tajcevic. He graduated with honors in 1955 and continued his studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, a renowned French composer, and teacher. Lazarevitch's career as a pianist took off in the 1950s when he won several international competitions, including the Geneva International Piano Competition in 1956 and the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in 1957. These victories brought him international recognition and opened doors for him to perform in major concert halls around the world. In addition to his career as a pianist, Lazarevitch was also a talented conductor. He made his debut as a conductor in 1960 with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and went on to conduct many other orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the New York Philharmonic. He was known for his ability to bring out the best in the musicians he worked with and for his passionate interpretations of classical works. Lazarevitch was also a prolific composer, with a catalog of works that included symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and vocal music. His compositions were influenced by his Serbian heritage and often incorporated folk melodies and rhythms. He was particularly interested in exploring the possibilities of electronic music and was one of the first composers in Yugoslavia to experiment with electronic instruments. Throughout his career, Lazarevitch received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to classical music. In 1972, he was awarded the Order of Merit for Culture by the Yugoslav government, and in 1982, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor by the French government. He was also a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and was awarded the Academy's highest honor, the Mihailo Valtrovic Award, in 1997. Some of Lazarevitch's most memorable performances include his 1963 performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 with the London Symphony Orchestra, his 1970 performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and his 1985 performance of his own Piano Concerto No. 2 with the New York Philharmonic. He was also known for his recordings of the works of Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy, which are still considered some of the best recordings of these composers' works. Lazarevitch's career was cut short when he passed away on December 23, 1996, at the age of 64. However, his legacy lives on through his recordings, compositions, and the many musicians he inspired throughout his career. He will always be remembered as a talented and passionate musician who made significant contributions to the world of classical music.

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