Barshai, Rudolf (Borisovich)
Barshai, Rudolf (Borisovich)
Barshai, Rudolf (Borisovich), Russian-born Israeli conductor; b. Labinskaya, Sept. 28, 1924. He studied violin and viola at the Moscow Cons, with Zeitlin (graduated, 1948), and also received training in conducting from Musin in Leningrad. He began his career as a violist and toured throughout Russia. He also was a member of the Borodin and Tchaikovsky string quartets. In 1955 he organized the Moscow Chamber Orch., which became extremely successful. Many Russian composers wrote works for it. In 1976 he emigrated to Israel and led the Israel Chamber Orch. in Tel Aviv until 1981. He also appeared as a guest conductor throughout Europe, North America, and the Far East. From 1982 to 1988 he was principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Bournemouth Sym. Orch. He also was music director of the Vancouver (B.C.) Sym. Orch. (1985–87), president of the Toscanini conducting competition (1986–93), and principal guest conductor of l’Orchestre National de France in Paris (1987–88).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire