Mark Peskanov

Mark Peskanov (born in Odesa, Ukraine – then part of the USSR) is an American virtuoso violinist, known as a soloist, chamber musician, composer, conductor, and concert presenter.

Biography

Peskanov began playing the piano at age three, and the violin at seven.^[1] He received early musical training at the Stolyarsky school.^[2] In 1973, at the age of fifteen, he emigrated to the United States, where he attended the Aspen Music Festival and the Juilliard School.^[2] Upon his recital debut at Carnegie Hall, The New York Times declared, “Mark Peskanov is a tremendous young violinist and his Friday evening concert at Carnegie Hall was a triumph…He has it all—technique, temperament, and taste.”^[3] Since 2005, Peskanov has been president, executive and artistic director of Bargemusic.^[4]

Premieres

Peskanov premiered the John Williams Concerto with the St. Louis Symphony in 1981,^[5] and the Stanley Wolfe Concerto (written for Peskanov) with the New York Philharmonic in 1989.^[6]

Honors

Peskanov is the recipient of the Avery Fischer Career Grant^[7] and Carnegie Hall’s first Isaac Stern Award.^[8] He debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra as the first recipient of the Frederick R. Mann Memorial prize.^[1] Peskanov performed for the inaugurations of Tokyo’s Suntory Hall in 1986 ^[9] and Weill Recital Hall in 1987.^[10]

References

1. Webster, Daniel (July 10, 1987). "A Violinist Born In U.s.s.r. Is Living An American Dream". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
2. Barbara Lourie Sand (1 November 2005). Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician. Amadeus Press. pp. 203–5. ISBN 978-1-57467-376-0.
3. Page, Tim (December 19, 1983). "RECITAL: MARK PESKANOV". New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
4. Kozinn, Allan (August 31, 2008). "Afloat on the High Seas, Persian Fountains and the Blues". New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
5. John Williams Violin Concerto/Flute Concerto with Mark Peskanov, Peter Lloyd, Leonard Slatkin, and The London Symphony Orchestra. Varese Sarabande Digital, VSD 5345, Nuremberg, Germany, 1983. Unattributed liner notes.
6. Hershenson, Roberta (5 February 1989). "Long and Quiet Career is Prelude to a Coup for Hastings Composer". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
7. "The Avery Fisher Career Grants | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts". www.aboutlincolncenter.org. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
8. Marum, Lisa. “Mark Peskanov, Violinist”. Ovation: The Magazine for Classical Music Listeners. October 1985, pg. 50.
9. "The brief history of Suntory Hall (1986 - 2010)" (PDF). www.suntory.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
10. Weill recital Hall concert program, January 9, 1987.