Biography

Sergey Musaelyan was born on 23 November, 1950 in Moscow.

His father, Alexander Musaelyan, a mining engineer, was a builder of the first underground in Moscow. His mother, Eleanor Musaelyan (née Balayan), an Honored Cultural Worker of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), a student of Konstantin Igoumnov and Alexander Goedike, graduate of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, later worked in the Central Music School, determined the fortune of many modern pianists; she became the first teacher of her son.

As early as at the age of three he manifested a unique musical talent (Sergey knew by heart a great number of musical compositions, played music by ear on the piano). In 1958 Sergey entered the Central Music School. He studied in the classes of Anaida Sumbatyan, Tamara Bobovich and of his mother Eleonor Musaelyan. While studying in the sixth grade the young musician played the 1st Concert of Rakhmaninov, 6th Rhapsody and Mephisto-Waltz by Liszt, 7th Sonata by Prokofiev.

Sergey’s move to the class of Eugeni Timakin was the turning point in the musical development of the pianist. Having graduated from the Central Music School ahead of schedule, Sergey entered the Conservatory: first the class of Gleb Axelrod and then the class of the outstanding pianist and pedagogue, People’s Artist of the USSR, professor Yakov Flier. After graduating from the Conservatory he entered the post-graduate course in the Gnessin University to the professor Boris Berlin.

Since the year 1968 Sergey was the permanent participant of music festivals. In 1976 the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition in Lisbon allowed the pianist to go abroad, to Portugal, where the critics wrote: «This pianist will have a brilliant future. His mastery is unique».

From the year 1976 he began to give concerts in the cities of the former USSR.

Despite the recognition at home and abroad, Sergey Musaelyan for years couldn’t get permission to go abroad. He traveled a lot with concerts around the country. In 1988 Sviatoslav Richter and Nina Dorliak in their diaries said the following about the musician as a talented pianist with «smart» technique (expression of Sviatoslav Richter), bright temperament, beautiful sound, having a great success. Finally, with the help of Richter Sergey began to give concerts outside the USSR.

In 1988 Sergey Musaelyan was noted by Finnish musical producer, critic and journalist Seppo Heikinheimo. Thanks to him, during that year pianist gave more than 100 concerts in the most prestigious concert halls and became a «cult» figure in Finland.

In 1991 after his concert in Lahti conductor Ulf Söderblom, a self-restrained Scandinavian, said: «You are the greatest romantic of all times and a unique virtuoso. It’s a real luck to play with you!»

Since the late 80-s Sergey Musaelyan successfully toured throughout Europe, North and South America, Korea, China. The press noted his virtuosity and the original manner of his performance: the pianist always demonstrated sense of form and attention to details, exquisite pianissimo and bright explosive temper… The sincerity of feelings, a wonderful combination of natural musicality and emotionality, as well as a deep philosophical understanding of compositions made possible cooperation of the pianist with the best orchestras and conductors in the world.

Sergey Musaelyan is a mature master, world-class musician, whose name is inseparably linked with traditions of the legendary Russian piano school and such names as Konstantin Igoumnov, Yakov Flier, Sviatoslav Richter, Boris Berlin… The pianist has a huge repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary composers, nevertheless a special love and place in his creative work occupies music of Romantic composers.

In 1999, the pianist was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

Sergey Musaelyan successfully combines his mastery as a musician with producer activities.

In July 1992 the Governor and Mayor of Mikkeli (Finland) offered the pianist to organize the First International Chamber Music Festival in the city and to act as the art director, and Vladimir Ashkenazy as the honorary president.

The Dual International Christmas Festival «Moscow-Helsinki» (1993-1994) is the top of Sergey Musaelyan’s work as the art director. Among its participants were the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg Camerata and the Vladimir Minin’s Choir, Valery Gergiev, Saulius Sondeckis.

In 2011 Sergey Musaelyan took part in the establishment of the Fund for the Development of Piano Arts named after Yakov Flier.

Since the beginning of the 2000s Sergey Musaelyan was engaged in teaching activities: master classes at the Edinburgh University «Pan-American» (Texas), lectures on the piano art around the world.

A well-known Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in her time wrote of the pianist the following: «… those who appreciate elegance of the classics, expressed in the style of Moscow Igoumnov’s piano school, will be pleased. There will be no fake on the stage, no unjustified improvisations with the texts of great composers, you will be insured from schlock, to which the ears of our music lovers have got accustomed for the last decade …»