Boris Berman

Born in Russia and later choosing American citizenship, Boris Berman has secured a prominent standing among today's pianists through his advocacy of both his homeland's repertoire and other twentieth-century compositions. His interpretations consistently reflect a deliberate equilibrium between analytical depth and expressive warmth, enabling performances across more than thirty countries on six continents. He has likewise distinguished himself as a teacher through major faculty appointments in Israel and the United States while curating multiple series devoted to new music.

Berman completed his education at the Moscow Conservatory under Lev Oborin, earning honors diplomas in piano and harpsichord. He promptly launched an active career throughout the Soviet Union, appearing both in solo recitals and with orchestras such as the Moscow Philharmonic and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. During this period he introduced Russian audiences to compositions by Berio, Ligeti, Stockhausen, and American iconoclast John Cage, and he gave the world premieres of Alfred Schnittke's Serenade and Edison Denisov's Ode.

In 1973 Berman chose to emigrate to Israel, where he rapidly assumed a leading role in the nation's musical community. He joined the faculty of Tel Aviv University, remaining for six years and earning recognition as an exceptional pedagogue. Relocating to the United States in 1979, he taught at Indiana, Boston, and Brandeis before assuming leadership of Yale University's piano department in 1984; there he also directed the Yale Music Spectrum series. In 1995 he oversaw the launch of the International Summer Piano Institute in Hong Kong, organized jointly by Yale University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Prestigious ensembles worldwide have engaged him, among them the Philharmonia of London, the Royal Concertgebouw, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Houston Symphony. Beyond established recital circuits, he has appeared at the festivals of Bergen, Waterloo, Ravinia, Marlboro, and Israel. He has published volumes addressing piano technique and Prokofiev's sonatas.

Berman's stature has been further strengthened by an extensive discography. His major contribution to Chandos Records' complete Prokofiev piano music was followed by a two-CD set of Scriabin sonatas for Music & Arts and a Shostakovich recital that received the 1990 Edison Classic Award in Holland. Three Prokofiev concertos recorded with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Neeme Järvi were designated CD of the Month by CD Review, inaugurating Chandos's Prokofiev series. Additional releases include Stravinsky and Schnittke piano works as well as two Naxos discs devoted to John Cage's piano music.