Pedagogue Pyotr Stolyarsky Was Born in 1871

His famed students included David Oistrakh, Boris Goldstein, Nathan Milstein, Elizabeth Gilels, Igor Oistrakh, Mikhail Fikhtengoltz and Eduard Grach

Legendary Soviet violinist and teacher Pyotr Stolyarsky was born on this day in 1871.

Pyotr was born in Lipovets, a provincial town near Kiev. He first studied violin with his father, a village musician, then with the Polish violinist Stanisław Barcewicz, Emil Młynarski and Y. Karbulko at the Odessa Imperial Musical Society School.

After graduating in 1898, Stolyarsky joined the Odessa Opera House orchestra. He began giving private lessons and, by 1920, was teaching at the city’s conservatory.

In 1933, he opened a school for gifted young musicians in Odessa, The Stolyarsky School of Music, the first of its kind in the Soviet Union and still exists today. In 1939, he was honored as People's Artist of Ukrainian SSR.

Below are some famous and quirky quotes from the esteemed pedagogue:

"Don't be in a hurry, don't move the bow so fast. Imagine that this is your salary. You should not use it up right away, but distribute it for a long time."

Why are you standing like a cow? Move!’

"Who do you want to overtake? Playing the violin is not like jumping on a horse. Show me beautiful music."

"Don't think that the word “violin” comes from the word “creak”."

"The violin must be held proudly."

STOLYARSKY FILM | 2018