David Oistrakh is considered to be one of the greatest violinists of his time and the most characteristic representative of the Russian violion school

David Oistrakh is considered to be one of the greatest violinists of his time and the most characteristic representative of the Russian school. He has been called the “Paganini of the East”, the “Czar David”.

In his style of playing David Oistrakh represented the best traditions of the Russian performing arts: a simple and noble manner, conveying to the listener all the richness, beauty and depth of the music, sonority of the bow, broad phrasing. His virtuosity was an unconditional servant to the meaning of music.

His technical mastery was complete, his tone warm and powerful, and his approach a perfect fusion of virtuosity and musicianship.

Furthermore, David Oistrakh was extremely successful as a teacher. He made sure that his performing style was continued by passing it on to his many well known students: his son Igor Oistrakh, Valery Klimov, Semen Snitkovsky, Viktor Pikajzen, Rosa Fein, Oleg Krysa, Gidon Kremer, Oleg Kagan, Liana Issakadze and many others.

Igor Oistrakh continued the classic Russian violin tradition after his father David Oistrakh.

“I remember that the older I became the more I argued with my father. I loved and respected my father, but I knew that in order to become an independent musician I had to find my own way”.

Igor Oistrakh

Igor Oistrakh was first acknowledged as an artist in 1959 in Paris when after a concert critics wrote: Igor is no longer just his father’s son, he is an independent, great artist.

For Igor it was always important to have his own sound and unique style. With this style he was trying to find his own way to each composer, to each piece of music. Igor Oistrakh says that this ability to find one’s own path is something that can’t be taught, one either has it or one doesn’t. The teacher can only help a student to awaken what is already alive in the soul.

This ability to help students to find their own voice, their own key to solving technical violin difficulties, Zakhar Bron gets from his teacher Igor Oistrakh.