Tatiana Nikolayeva
Tatiana Petrovna Nikolayeva (Татьяна Николаева) (
May 4,
1924–
November 13,
1993) was a Russian pianist, composer and teacher.
Nikolayeva was born in Bezhitsa (in the
Bryansk district) on May 4 of 1924. ([
1]) She studied piano beginning at the age of three. She entered the
Moscow Conservatory, studied with
Alexander Goldenweiser and
Evgeny Golubev, and graduated in 1948.
In 1950 Nikolayeva gained prominence by winning the Bach Leipzig Piano Competition, part of the bicentennial marking
Bach's death. More importantly, she met
Dmitri Shostakovich at the competition leading to a lifelong friendship and inspiring Shostakovich to compose his
24 Preludes & Fugues which are dedicated to Nikolayeva.
In 1959 Nikolayeva became a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, later becoming professor in 1965. She made over 50 recordings during her career, notably keyboard works by Bach, including his
Art of Fugue, and by
Beethoven, but only became widely known in the West late in life. With the fall of Communism, she found herself in demand internationally making several concert tours to Europe and America.
Her third recording of the Shostakovich
24 Preludes & Fugues won the 1991
Gramophone award in the instrumental category. In November 1993 Nikolayeva died shortly after playing the same work in concert in San Francisco.
Her compositions include a piano concerto in
B major, her
opus 10 performed and recorded (with the composer at the piano and
Kiril Kondrashin conducting) in 1951 and published in 1958; a trio for piano, flute and viola recorded on
BIS Records; preludes for piano; and a string quartet.
*
Short biography and photograph from Hyperion Records.
