Loved By Western Audience
By Alena Struve
Radio Liberty
Tens of talented Belarusian academic musicians are performing around the world today. Some of them have settled in the USA or Western Europe. Musical experts say that “they are able to reach their artistic potential abroad”.
Yury Becker is 26 years old. He was born in Minsk and has been playing the violin since 6 year of age. His family moved to the US in the 1990s. Now the musician lives in Charleston, South Carolina and gives concerts in many countries around the world. Last week he performed to the full house at Spotlight Concert, Charleston.
Talking about the secrets of success, 26-year-old Yury Becker mentioned several factors: natural aptitude, hard work, right teachers especially when young, and sponsors. Then Yury referred to the Richard and Mick Hadar Fund: “Thanks to their support and all those meetings, contacts with mentors, concerts, the Fund has become a family for me. I was able to gain much experience and mature as a musician.”
According Richard Hadar, the musical world has not yet seen all the aspects of this violinist’s talent. “We are very proud of Yury’s early achievements. He was born to play the violin – decisive and calm style, supernatural control, razor-sharp intonation, and fiery passion – he’s got it all and even more…,” said Richard Hadar about Becker.
Yury Becker is one of many Belarus-born musicians who live and work in the West today. A Belarusian Conservatory graduate, former soloist of the Minsk Symphonic Orchestra, pianist, laureate of a prestigious contest in New Orleans and several international contests Yury Blinov has been living in the U.S. for the past 7 years. He plays with some world-famous orchestras. The press wrote about his successful performance at the Carnegie Hall, New York.
Today, American and Western European experts argue about the way this talented pianist is playing. German sponsor Hans Raff and his wife who support young musicians from Belarus and other post-soviet countries, find Blinov’s manner “a little mad”. “But it’s something that so many people like,” added my interviewer. “Anyhow, Blinov is a novelty.”
The German sponsor also reckons that talented academic musicians from Belarus “are able to reach their potential exclusively because of their performances abroad”. “I reckon that your young musicians will have a chance if they get a grant from the West,” said the German sponsor. “I am familiar with musical institutions in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Moldova… They have some wonderful teachers. But schools and even conservatoriums don’t have suitable instruments. The pianos students play, are far from the original standard – they do more damage than good as they form incorrect sound perception.”
Teachers at the Belarusian Music Academy also agree about this problem. “I have a very talented first-year student,” said Tatiana, a music teacher with 40 years of experience, “I don’t know what’s going to happen to him later. His family’s finances are limited. They don’t have a good instrument at home. It’s not the only case like this.”
The teacher wishes all her students had found foreign sponsors, as there are not any in this country. “It’s my joy to see my students go to other countries and that I helped them out in the beginning,” said the teacher. “What would they do here? One of my most talented students worked for the Philharmonics and he could barely survive… He didn’t have enough for the basics.”