Vronsky & Babin were regarded by many as one of the foremost duo-piano teams of the twentieth century.Vitya Vronsky (Viktoria Mikhailovna Vronskaya, 22 August 1909 – 28 June 1992) was born in theCrimean city ofYevpatoria,Ukraine.Victor Babin (Viktor Genrikhovich Babin, 13 December 1908 – 1 March 1972) was born inMoscow, Russia. They both died inCleveland,Ohio, United States.[1]
Vronsky graduated from theKiev Conservatory at the age of 13 and began a brilliant concert career as a soloist. She studied withAlfred Cortot andEgon Petri in Paris. She met Babin while both were studying withArtur Schnabel inBerlin. Babin also studied composition withFranz Schreker.[2]
In 1931 they first went on tour as a piano duo. In 1933 they married in London.[2]
Vronsky & Babin were introduced to American audiences through their recordings of the piano music ofSergei Rachmaninoff, who became their friend and mentor. Their recordings were issued byRCA Victor,Columbia,Decca andEMI. Despite a break from performance duringWorld War II during which Babin served in the Armed Forces and Vronsky worked with war casualties inWashington, D.C. hospitals, the duo still managed to perform over 1,200 concerts in North America alone. In 1961, Babin became Director of theCleveland Institute of Music, where both he and Vronsky served on the Institute's faculty.
Victor Babin also composed a Concerto for Two Pianos, which is in the repertoire of theContiguglia brothers,[3]Variations on a Theme of Purcell (cello and piano),Hillandale Waltzes (8 waltz movements on a theme byJohann Nepomuk Hummel, clarinet and piano), a song cycleBeloved Stranger, chamber music, as well as arrangements for two pianos ofStravinsky'sTango and the Waltz fromTchaikovsky'sEugene Onegin.[4] His other works included a Capriccio for orchestra, aKonzertstück for violin and orchestra, a string quartet, a Sonata-Fantasia for cello and piano, the solo piano worksFantasia, Aria and Capriccio andDeux Mouvements dansantes, and for two pianos, he wrote Six Studies,Three Fantasies on Old Themes, andThree March Rhythms.[5]
Babin died in 1972, and Vronsky continued to teach and perform until her death in 1992. Their pupils included Paul Schenly andNohema Fernández.[6]
Vronsky was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Humanities by the French government in 1972 and served as a judge for theRobert Casadesus International Piano Competition. Babin was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico.
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