Playlist: 17 videos
Yuri Boukoff plays Stoyanov Piano Concerto in D minor, Menotti Piano Concerto, Chopin etudes
Born: May 1, 1923 - Sofia, Bulgaria
Died: January 7, 2006 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France
He began his piano training with with Brzoniowski and Andrei Stoyanov in Sofia. At 15 he gave his first recital in Sofia and won first prize at the National Competition of Bulgaria. He then went to Paris and pursued studies with Yves Nat at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he won Premier Prix in 1946. He also received guidance from George Enescu, Edwin Fischer and Marguerite Long. He won many prizes in international competitions, including Geneva in 1947, Long-Thibaud in 1949, Diemer in 1951, and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium in 1952.
Youri Boukoff pursued and international career as a vituoso. In 1956 he was the first European pianist to make a tour to China. In 1964 he became a naturalized French citizen. Although he excelled in performances of works from the Romantic era and Russian composers, he also championed modern composers ranging from Prokofiev (he performed all his piano sonatas) to Menotti.
