Russian violist and pedagogue Yuri Kravarov was one of the most important Soviet-era musicians, according to Misha Galaganov, and the TCU chair of strings and professor of viola recently penned an article for The Strad – a leading magazine in the string world published in England – exploring the musician’s life, career and teaching methods.
“Walking down a street in Tashkent, cold and hungry, he met a pilot, who upon learning that Kramarov was deeply miserable in that city asked if he wanted to go to Moscow with him,” he wrote. “Most people would not say yes to such a proposition, but Kramarov did, and subsequently flew to Moscow on a military plane. There he realised that music would be the most important thing in his life and resumed his studies.”