Ilze graubin (1941-2001) - pianista - pianiste

The pianist Ilze Graubin was born in Riga, Latvia. Her father, Jekabs Graubin was a composer well known in Latvia, a music critic and a writer, specialist in Latvian and Baltic Folklore. lIze's mother was also a pianist. Though the first teachers of Ilze Graubin were her parents. She started to learn music when she was very young; at the early age of 4 she was able to improvise on the piano. She entered in the Special Music School in Riga which had been just founded when she was 6 years old. There, her first teacher was Dora Brawn, afterwards she studied with Nina Binatian for nine years. In those years Ilze Graubin was participating in many concerts in Riga, other towns of Latvia and in other Republics of the former USSR In Riga Ilze, finished her studies wlth the Degree of Distinction and she was able to enter at the Tchaikowsky Conservatory in Moscow. There she studied with the well known professor Abraham Schatzkes, but after his death she received the most important scholarship of Moscow and continued her lessons with the great pianist and pedagogue Jacob Flier.
In 1962 Ilze Graubin took part in the First International Van Cliburn's Piano Competition in U.S.A. and was awarded with a Diploma.
Her activity as a concertising pianist started after the 2nd J.S. Bach's International Piano Competition in the 1964 (in Germany), in which she won the 1st Prize and Gold Medal. Therefore Leipzig brought her the chance to perform on some stages in different parts of the world. She started to concertise in the USSR as a soloist with some of the best orchestras and her first record for "Melodia" with entirely Bach's works was made. In Moscow she continued her postgraduate studies and helped her professor J.Flier as an Assistant.
In 1967 Ilze returned to her native land, Latvia, and started to work in the Conservatory of Riga and also as a soloist in the Latvia's State Philharmonic Society. In Latvia she was awarded with several honorary titles. She took part in some of the Music Festivals in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vilnius, as well as in the "Handel Festival" in Halle (Germany), In Festivals In Hungary, Bratislava, Dubrovnik, various concerts in Berlin, Weimar, Sofia, Plovdiv, Praga and elsewhere. She gave recitals in Canada, Finland, Poland, Yugoslavia where she performed with important conductors such as KirilI Kondrashin, Gennady Roshdestvensky, Kurt Sanderling and David Oistrach.
After the substantial changes in Latvia, there have been opportunities for Ilze Graubin to play in some western countries together with her sister Eva Graubin, violinist, who Iives in Barcelona (Spain). They have been playing as a Piano-Violin Duo in France, Italy, Spain and Canada. In 1990, 1991 and 1992 Ilze Graubin’s concert-recitals were very successful in Canada, France and Spain; in 1993 - in France and Switzerland, the praising critiques are evidence of it.
During these years she continued working in the Latvian Academy of music and her pupils have been playing in different competitions and Intentional events abroad. One of her pupils, Armands Abols, was the winner of "Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona (1992), another Piano Competition in Viña del Mar (Chile) and got a Diploma of Honour and special Prize in the competition in Paloma O'Shea, in Santander (Spain, 1995) the others - Karina Jermaka wons the 1st Prize in The International Competition In Kishinew, Modova. Sandra Jalanecka wins 3rd Prize in 2nd Jazep Vitols Competition, Andris GrigaIis - 3rd Prize in the 1st Jazep Vitols Competition. Inese Klotin becomes the laureate In the International Kiles Competition in Sweden. 3rd Prize In International Competition in Yera (France, 1996). OIga Prjadko - 1st Prize in the International Competition of Hannikainen (Finland, 1996).
Ilze Graubin died the 24.01.2001 in Riga,Latvia

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