Yvar Mikhashoff

Yvar-Emilian Mikhashoff (actually Ronald Mackay ; born March 8, 1941 in Troy , New York , † October 11, 1993 in Buffalo , New York ) was an American pianist.

Education and academic career

Mikhasoff had his first piano lessons with Betty Weir and Stanley Hummel . He attended the Eastman School of Music since 1959 , where he was a piano student of Armand Basile , and in 1961 the Juilliard School of Music . From 1964 he studied piano with Albert Hirsh and composition with Elmer Schoettle at the University of Houston . After a stay with Nadia Boulanger , he began at the University of Texas at Austin to study with Hunter Johnson , Kent Kennan , Janet McGaughey and Karl Korte , from which he graduated in 1973 with a doctorate in music. He was an assistant professor at the State University of New York in Buffalo until his death .

Musical direction and career

Mikhasoff specialized in the American music of the 20th century and was soon internationally recognized as one of the most outstanding interpreters of this repertoire, to which composers such as John Cage , Lukas Foss , Christian Wolff , Henry Brant , Sylvano Bussotti , Per Norgaard and Luis de Pablo dedicated works.

He has performed at almost all major contemporary music festivals around the world - including the Warsaw Autumn, Holland Festival , the Zagreb Biennale, the Bergen Festival in Norway and the Almeida Festival in London - and has made recordings for radio programs in the USA and the Netherlands , Denmark, England and Japan as well as for record labels such as New Albion, Mode, RCA Victor, CRI and Spectrum.

He was also the founder of the North American New Music Festival , which he directed for eleven years. His support for contemporary music continues through the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music , founded after his death .