Daniel Kurganov

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Daniel Kurganov
Violinist Daniel Kurganov with Maestro Pinchas Zukerman.jpg
Kurganov (right), with Pinchas Zukerman
Background information
Born (1986-11-29) November 29, 1986 (age 38)
Minsk, Soviet Union (now Belarus)
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Violinist, music educator
InstrumentViolin
Years active2004–present
LabelsSpice Classics, Orchid Classics, Hänssler Classics
Website www.kurganov.org

Daniel Kurganov (born November 29, 1986)[ citation needed ] is a Belarussian-American concert violinist and music educator. He began formal violin training at the age of 16. [1] He has performed across the United States, Europe, and Japan, recorded several albums with pianist Constantine Finehouse, and maintains a YouTube channel with over 80,000 subscribers. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Kurganov was born in Minsk, then part of the Soviet Union (now Belarus), to a Jewish family, and immigrated to the United States with his family as a toddler, settling near Chicago. [3] Initially studying piano as a child, he later switched to guitar in his early teens before commencing violin studies at age 16 under Alla Danichkina. [4] [1] He joined his high school orchestra and studied with violinists Ilya Kaler and Olga Kaler in Chicago. [5]

He pursued further education at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland, studying under Rudolf Koelman, a protégé of Jascha Heifetz. [3] Kurganov also received instruction from Desiree Ruhstrat and Alexander Belavsky and is an alumnus of the Keshet Eilon International Mastercourse in Israel.[ citation needed ]

Career

Performing

Kurganov performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral guest artist in venues across the United States, Europe, and Japan. He is a founding member of the Kurganov–Finehouse Duo, specializing in Romantic-era sonatas, and the Aegis Piano Trio. [6] [7] He has toured Japan with the Kurofune Ensemble, which he founded to blend classical and modern Japanese arts. [8] [9]

He collaborated with composer Stephanie Ann Boyd, performing her work "Aurora" during a tour with Finehouse in 2022. [10] [6] In 2011, He was invited to participate in the Violins of Hope project in Sion, Switzerland, where he performed on a violin rescued from the Auschwitz concentration camp. [11] Other notable appearances include concerts at Merkin Hall, [6] Bargemusic, [12] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Harvard Musical Association.

Teaching

Kurganov founded the Boston Violin Intensive in 2018. [13] [ dead link ] He has conducted masterclasses at institutions including the Boston Conservatory, [14] the University of Maryland, [15] and Musikhochschule Münster. [16] Kurganov maintains a YouTube channel with instructional videos. [2]

He regularly contributes articles to publications such as The Strad , where he was voted Best of The Strad 2021, [17] [18] and the Boston Musical Intelligencer. [19] He has partnered with the music education platform Tonebase and served as a Featured Artist-Teacher from 2022-2025, producing educational content with Pinchas Zukerman, Seymour Bernstein, Marc-André Hamelin and Ron Carter. [20]

Musical style

Music critic Jed Distler, reviewing Kurganov's Brahms recording, notes: "Kurganov employs vibrato judiciously, and on occasion sneaks in just a hint of upward portamento à la Kreisler or Elman when reiterating a motive." [21]

Discography

Selected discography
TitleYearCollaborator(s)LabelNotes
Between the Notes2018Constantine FinehouseSpice ClassicsIncludes works by Brahms, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and a Gershwin arrangement by Heifetz [22]
Rhythm and the Borrowed Past2021Constantine FinehouseOrchid ClassicsFeatures pieces by Lera Auerbach, Richard Beaudoin, Messiaen, and Cage [23]
Brahms Violin Sonatas2023Constantine FinehouseHänssler ClassicsBrahms's three violin sonatas, recorded on a 1706 Guarneri violin; [24] rated 10/10 by Classics Today [21]

References

  1. 1 2 "Daniel Kurganov: on starting the violin at age 16". The Strad . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Daniel Kurganov, Violinist's channel on YouTube
  3. 1 2 "Meet Daniel Kurganov". Boston Voyager. September 11, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Prone to Violins – Daniel Kurganov". Prone to Violins. November 30, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Daniel Kurganov – About the Musicians". The Frederick Collection. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Tuesday Matinees: Daniel Kurganov, violin & Constantine Finehouse, piano". Kaufman Music Center. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Aegis Trio – Music for Troubled Times". Amherst College. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Music, Dance, and Canvas Collide". Boston Musical Intelligencer. September 18, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Daniel Kurganov- Partnering Lab". The Partnering Lab. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Daniel Kurganov and Constantine Finehouse take Aurora on Massachusetts tour". Stephanie Ann Boyd. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Andrzej Cieplinski". YIVO. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Masterworks Series: Homage to a Golden Age". Bargemusic . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Boston Violin Intensive". kurganov.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Artistry in Action: String Masters Series—Daniel Kurganov, Violin and Constantine Finehouse, Piano". Boston Conservatory at Berklee. October 23, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Masterful Strings: Daniel Kurganov, violin". University of Maryland. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Tonebase Violin Festival 2024". Musikhochschule Münster. October 18, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Best of The Strad 2021". The Strad . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Masterclass: Brahms Violin Sonata No. 2, first movement". The Strad . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Author: Daniel Kurganov". Boston Musical Intelligencer. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Daniel Kurganov". Tonebase. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  21. 1 2 "Fresh and Communicative Brahms on Historic Instruments". Classics Today. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Classical CD Review: Between the Notes – Music for Violin and Piano". The Arts Fuse. July 6, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  23. ↑ "ORC100182 – Daniel Kurganov". Orchid Classics. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  24. ↑ "The Brahms Age". Hänssler . Retrieved March 16, 2025.
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