An interview with Professor Sergei Osipenko of the Rostov-on-Don State Rachmaninoff Conservatoire
Sergei Ivanovich, who were your teachers?
I was extremely lucky; my own teachers were the great pianist Professor Lev Oborin (I studied under him for four years at the Moscow Conservatoire, until his very death), as well as two of his students Vera Demchenko (Golovina), in whose class I graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire’s Special School, and Mikhail Voskresensky, a professor at the Moscow Conservatoire – under his guidance I studied in my fifth year and undertook a postgraduate study. You could say that throughout my entire musical life I have been influenced one way or another by Oborin.
You are spoken of as a bearer of the finest traditions of the Russian piano school. What exactly are these traditions?
The single most important element of the Russian piano school has always been the beauty of the sound – the vocal tone. That’s not so very easy to achieve on the percussion keyboard instrument we call the piano. The ability to “sing” on the piano forms the heart of the Russian tradition.
Do you have any students who could continue the work of Osipenko-the-teacher? If you do, who are they?
Of course I have such students. For example, three of my students will be performing at the International Piano Festival on 28 December with piano concerti by Russian composers – they are good teachers. Anna Vinnitskaya is a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg (Germany), while Sofia Bugayan and Alexander Yakovlev teach at the Rostov on Don State Rachmaninoff Conservatoire (Academy).
Do you find it difficult to combine your intense teaching and performing activities?
Teaching occupies a key role in my professional life. It takes up a great many hours, but I certainly haven’t forgotten about recitals – I do perform on-stage, albeit not as often as I’d like. You have to keep in good form. That’s very important at my lessons with students at the conservatoire and at master-classes.
What personal qualities do you consider important for a musician?
The ability to take an interest in the problems of my students and professional integrity.
Can you name a musician whose playing is the very essence of perfection for you?
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff.
What is perfection for you? Is it even at all possible?
It is probably always possible to perform better. Even great musicians criticise themselves and their own performances...
Speaking with Svetlana Nikitina
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