Daniel Kurganov
Daniel Kurganov | |
|---|---|
 Kurganov (right), with Pinchas Zukerman | |
| Background information | |
| Born | November 29, 1986 Minsk, Soviet Union (now Belarus) |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist, music educator |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Spice Classics, Orchid Classics, Hänssler Classics |
| Website | www |
Daniel Kurganov (born November 29, 1986) is a Belorussian-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]
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.
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 Concert Hall,[6] BargeMusic,[12] the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Harvard Musical Association.
Teaching
Kurganov founded the Boston Violin Intensive in 2018.[13] 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-Andre 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
| Title | Year | Collaborator(s) | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between the Notes | 2018 | Constantine Finehouse | Spice Classics | Includes works by Brahms, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and a Gershwin arrangement by Heifetz[22] |
| Rhythm and the Borrowed Past | 2021 | Constantine Finehouse | Orchid Classics | Features pieces by Lera Auerbach, Richard Beaudoin, Messiaen, and Cage[23] |
| Brahms Violin Sonatas | 2023 | Constantine Finehouse | Hänssler Classics | Brahms's three violin sonatas, recorded on a 1706 Guarneri violin;[24] rated 10/10 by Classics Today[21] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Daniel Kurganov: on starting the violin at age 16". The Strad. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Daniel Kurganov, Violinist – YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Meet Daniel Kurganov". Boston Voyager. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Prone to Violins - Daniel Kurganov". Prone to Violins. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Daniel Kurganov – About the Musicians". The Frederick Collection. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Tuesday Matinees: Daniel Kurganov, violin & Constantine Finehouse, piano". Kaufman Music Center. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Aegis Trio - Music for Troubled Times". Amherst College. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Music, Dance, and Canvas Collide". Boston Musical Intelligencer. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Daniel Kurganov- Partnering Lab". The Partnering Lab. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Daniel Kurganov and Constantine Finehouse take Aurora on Massachusetts tour". Stephanie Ann Boyd. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Andrzej Cieplinski". YIVO. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Masterworks Series: Homage to a Golden Age". Barge Music. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Boston Violin Intensive". kurganov.org. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Artistry in Action: String Masters Series—Daniel Kurganov, Violin and Constantine Finehouse, Piano". Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Masterful Strings: Daniel Kurganov, violin". University of Maryland. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "TONEBASE VIOLIN FESTIVAL 2024". University of Münster. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Best of The Strad 2021". The Strad. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Masterclass: Brahms Violin Sonata No.2, first movement". The Strad. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Author: Daniel Kurganov". Boston Musical Intelligencer. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Daniel Kurganov". Tonebase. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Fresh and Communicative Brahms on Historic Instruments". Classics Today. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "Classical CD Review: Between the Notes – Music for Violin and Piano". The Arts Fuse. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "ORC100182 – Daniel Kurganov". Orchid Classics. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ↑ "The Brahms Age - hänssler Classic - Profil Edition Günter Hänssler". hänssler Classic. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
External links
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