Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich: biography, creativity

There is an opinion among the people that on the children of the famouspeople nature rests. However, the son of the famous Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich Maxim managed to completely refute these unfair rumors. Pianist and conductor from God, he became known to the whole world thanks to innate musical talent and persistent work.

Birth and early life

Maxim Shostakovich was born in LeningradMay 10, 1938. His father was the famous for the whole Soviet Union composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The mother of the boy was astrophysicist Nina V. Varzar, who after her marriage refused to create a scientific career and devoted herself to her husband and children. In addition to Maxim, the elder daughter Galina grew up with her spouses. The early years of the boy's life were overshadowed by the Great Patriotic War. The blockade of Leningrad Shostakovich was met in his native city. Here Dmitry Dmitrievich worked on his famous Seventh Symphony, which was subsequently broadcast by radio from the fascist-captured Northern Capital to the vast Soviet Union. In 1942, the composer and his family were evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara), and a year later Shostakovichi moved to Moscow. They could not return to Leningrad.

Relations with the father-composer

Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich kept brightmemories of his father. He described him as a man of extraordinary wisdom and intelligence. The composer and his wife brought up their children by their own example, instilling in them only positive qualities. Little Maxim and Galina did not know what physical punishment was. If they committed any wrongdoing, the father forced them to give a written commitment not to do so more. After that, the children could not even think about pampering or disobeying their parents.

Death of the mother

Dad was for Maxim and his sister indisputableauthority, and the mother - the keeper of the home, a reliable back and faithful adviser. Unfortunately, Nina Vasilievna did not become in 1954, when her son was sixteen. The death of the mother was a painful loss for young Maxim, whom he could not accept for a long time. Soon after the death of his first wife, Dmitry Shostakovich married party worker Margarita Kainove. Marriage with her did not last long, and in 1962, Maxim had a new stepmother Irina Antonovna Supinskaya, who holds the post of editor of the publishing house "Soviet Composer". Her father lived with her until his death in 1975.

The decision to become a conductor

Dmitry Shostakovich from the early years took his son torehearsals and concerts. The work of the Pope aroused the boy's sincere admiration, and he, having fallen in love with music with all his heart, did not represent without it his further existence. In 1946, Maxim came to rehearse his father's 8th symphony and was deeply impressed by the virtuoso work of the conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky. After that, he firmly decided that in the future he would be engaged in conducting.

Studies in music school and conservatory

Maxim Dmitrievich received a brilliant education. Under the direction of Helena Petrovna Hoven, he studied piano at the music school of the Moscow Conservatory. The conductor remembers her teacher as a woman who faithfully served the musical art. After graduation, he entered the piano faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Here the pedagogue of Shostakovich's son was the outstanding Soviet pianist Jacob Flier. At the entrance examinations at the entrance to the Conservatory, the young man performed the Second Piano Concerto, composed by his famous father. On the fourth year Shostakovich transferred to the conductor's faculty. Here his teachers were such famous conductors as Nikolai Rabinovich, Alexander Gauk and Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Career of the conductor in the USSR

After graduating from the conservatory in 1963Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich became assistant to the main conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra Veronika Borisovna Dudarova. Together with her, he traveled all over the Soviet Union with tours. Three years later the young musician was enrolled in the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. Becoming an assistant to the great conductor Evgeny Fedorovich Svetlanov, the composer's son first went abroad. For the period of work in the Stateorchester he traveled all over Europe, visited the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.

After the completion of the assistant's termSvetlanov Maxim Dmitrievich was invited to work in the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio and Central Television. Subsequently, he was appointed his chief conductor. In 1971 the son of Shostakovich Maxim became the head of the Symphony Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture of the Soviet Union. This position was held by the conductor for 10 years. In 1978, for high achievements in the field of musical art, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.

In 1979, Maxim Shostakovich made his debut as an opera conductor. Under his leadership, several operas were staged, among them "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk", "Nose", etc.

Emigration from the USA

Despite the "cold war" between the USSR and thestates of the West, Maxim Shostakovich, whose biography is considered in this article, has repeatedly spoken abroad. His debut as a conductor outside the country took place in 1968 in the British capital. Then he performed at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A year later, Maxim Dmitrievich with Gosorkestrom went on a big tour of the United States.

Traveling in capitalist countries, the sonShostakovich saw how unjustly the Soviet authorities treated their artists. The discontent with his life in the USSR grew with him every year more and more. Finally, in 1981 during a tour of the FRG Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich made a firm decision not to return to his homeland. His escape from the Union was a note of political protest. The conductor dreamed of playing the music that he likes, and not lamely follow orders "from above." Thoughts on emigration had visited him before, but while his father was alive, he could not afford to leave him. After the death of Dmitry Dmitrievich in 1975, the desire to break out of the Soviet Union became even stronger. Stagnation, embracing all spheres of life in the country, seemed to Shostakovich, the youngest eternal. He wanted his children and grandchildren to grow up in a free state. Left after the tour in Germany with his son Dmitry, the conductor emigrated to the United States after a while. Thoughts that he would once again set foot on Russian soil, he did not have.

Professional activity in emigration

Creative career Shostakovich in the Westwas developing not less successfully than in the USSR. In 1983, he headed the Philharmonic Orchestra of Hong Kong, which he directed for two years. In 1986-1991 Maxim Dmitrievich was the main conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of New Orleans. While living in the States, Shostakovich continued to work hard and actively speak. In addition to concert activities, he was engaged in recording his father's symphonies and pianist concerts. In 1994, the conductor for the first time after emigration came to Russia with tours. Despite the professional demand in the West, he often yearned for home. In 1997, he returned to Russia with his family and settled in St. Petersburg.

Wives and children of the conductor

Maxim Shostakovich was twice married. About the first wife of a pianist and conductor very little is known. In a marriage with her in 1961, a son was born to him, which in honor of the famous grandfather was called Dmitry. Having emigrated with his father from the USSR, he lived for some time in the USA, after which he moved to France. Dmitry Maksimovich is composing music for electronic synthesizers.

The current wife of Shostakovich is Marina. She married the son of the composer after moving to the United States. In his second marriage, he had two children - daughter Maria and son Maxim, who also went along the creative path. From childhood, they took part in concerts, learned to play musical instruments.

On his personal life can not complain MaximShostakovich. Marina's wife became for him not only the mother of his children, but also a true adherent, supporting his talented spouse in all endeavors. For the first time the conductor saw her during his speech at the music evening in the House of Unions. Marina, who was still at school, instructed her future husband to give her bouquet of flowers. Acquaintance of spouses was held much later. The novel between Maxim Dmitrievich and Marina began not long before his emigration to America. They were already married in the States, where the girl went after her beloved. There the couple had a daughter and a son.

Joint life with the second wife

While in the US, Maxim and Marina Shostakovichiregularly attended Orthodox churches and monasteries. Their favorite place was a small church of St. Nicholas, built by the efforts of the outstanding aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky. The decision to return to Russia was made by the couple after their children began to grow up. They wanted their offspring to grow up in a Russian environment and be brought up in Orthodox traditions. Despite the fact that the conductor and his wife lived in Moscow before moving to the States, after their return to their homeland they settled in St. Petersburg, the city where Maxim Shostakovich was born. The conductor's family settled in the very center of the legendary city on the Neva. Shostakovich returned to music, and Marina engaged in social activities. Thanks to her efforts, a school was opened in St. Catherine's Church in St. Petersburg, where children, in addition to basic subjects, are taught music, drawing and dancing. The son and daughter of the Shostakovichs became one of her first students. Later, the couple began construction of an educational institution in Pavlovsk.

Return to conducting in Russia

Settled in the northern capital, beganactive professional activity Shostakovich Maxim Dmitrievich. Music still occupies a central place in his life. The conductor began working with orchestras in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities. In addition, he returned to the recordings of works and began to conduct a tour tour. According to Maxim Shostakovich, music gives him the feeling that his father is still next to him and rejoices at his success.