Leonid Borisovich Kogan (November 17, 1924 - December 17, 1982) (Hebrew: לאוניד בוריסוביץ' קוגן, Russian: Леонид Борисович Коган) was a violin virtuoso and one of the 20th century's most famous Soviet violinists. He ranked among the greatest representatives of the Soviet School of violin playing.
Kogan was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for viol...
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Leonid Borisovich Kogan (November 17, 1924 - December 17, 1982) (Hebrew: לאוניד בוריסוביץ' קוגן, Russian: Леонид Борисович Коган) was a violin virtuoso and one of the 20th century's most famous Soviet violinists. He ranked among the greatest representatives of the Soviet School of violin playing.
Kogan was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for violin playing, his family moved to Moscow, where he was able to further his studies. From age ten he studied there with the noted violin pedagogue Abram Yampolsky. In 1934, Jascha Heifetz played concerts in Moscow. "I attended every one," Kogan later said, "and can remember until now every note he played. He was the ideal artist for me." When Kogan was 12, Jacques Thibaud was in Moscow and heard him play. The French virtuoso predicted a great future for Kogan.
Kogan studied at the Central Music School in Moscow (1934-43), then at the Moscow...
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