Violinist Igor Oistrakh was born on April 27, 1931, in Odesa, Ukraine. The son of acclaimed violinist, violist, and conductor David Oistrakh (September 17, 1908 – October 24, 1974), Igor Oistrakh began studying violin at the age of 6, predominantly under his father’s tutoring but also with Valeria Merenbloom. At the age of 12, he enrolled in Moscow’s Central Music School and studied under Pyotr Stolyarsky, who had taught his father. Igor Oistrakh made his live performance debut in 1948 and won the International Violin Competition in Budapest in 1949. He then enrolled at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, winning the Wieniawski Violin Competition in 1952 and graduating three years later. He made his recorded debut in 1955 with Khachaturian Violin Concerto, which was performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra. His vast catalog includes many recordings under his own name as well as albums with his father David Oistrakh, including Pablo de Sarasate’s Navarra (Spanish Tanz)/Henri Wieniawski’s 3 Etudes (1957) Bach – Beethoven – Vivaldi (1961), and Bach: Violinkonzert In A-moll Und E-Dur / Konzert Für Zwei Violinen In D-moll (1962). While Igor Oistrakh continuously recorded and performed separately, his career became linked with that of his father. When David Oistrakh died on October 24, 1974, Igor Oistrakh continued to carry his musical legacy into the future. In 1989, he was awarded with the honor of the People’s Artist of Russia, which is the highest title awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation. Between 1996 and 2010, Igor Oistrakh became a teacher at the Brussels Conservatory. He died on August 14, 2021, at the age of 90.
