Victor Merzhanov

Victor Merzhanov was born in Tambov, Russia. He graduated from the local musical college. In 1941 he graduated from the piano and organ department of the Moscow Conservatory. He participated in the WWII. From 1949 and until his death he taught at the Moscow Conservatory (as a professor from 1964). He was also a Professor at the Warsaw Conservatory between 1973 and 1978. In 1950 he performed with the Gabrielyan and Komitas Quartet. In 2003 he led the First Aram Khachaturian International Competition (Piano). He was a laureate of all-Union and international contests. In 1977 he was named People's Artist of the Russian Federation and became People's Artist of the USSR in 1990. He died in Moscow and was buried in the Novodevichye Cemetery.