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Articles/Interviews

 

Forum Ambassador

The status of the Forum Ambassador is being granted to Russian and foreign prominent culture and arts experts, leaders, heads of large-scale international forums and festivals. The activities implemented by the Forum Ambassador are related to the development of culture, arts and education; are aimed at strengthening of humanitarian ties, enhancement of intercultural dialog and promotion of arts and culture among public. The Ambassador himself is a bright personality, has the out-of-the-box thinking and possesses the can-do attitude to any issues, is able to inspire people to develop culture in the world. (Read more->)

Q&A: Pianist Daniel Pollack Returns to Russia as Arts Advocate

When Daniel Pollack recently traveled to Russia, it was a sort of homecoming. The longtime faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music views himself as a “musical grandchild of the great Russian musical heritage.”(Read more->)

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Piano Man, Winning Russian Hearts and Minds

It was his last night in Russia, and the American pianist Daniel Pollack had just finished a performance at the American ambassador’s residence that was thronged with Russians. He was addressing the audience, speaking of his affection for this land, of its enduring musicality, of friendships dating from Khrushchev’s time. (Read more->)

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Interview with Daniel Pollack

We are honored to present an exclusive interview with Daniel Pollack, legendary pianist and Professor of Piano at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Bakitone’s Sergei Kuznetsoff and Alexander Kato-Willis met with Professor Daniel Pollack to get his perspective on the competition world today.
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Daniel Pollack: From Russia With Love

“I’m the only one who’s still there,” declares Daniel Pollack. He’s commenting on his abiding popularity in Russia, the site of his prize-winning appearance in the very first Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, in 1958, when he was 23. (Read more->)

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Daniel Pollack: The Transition from Student to Artist

In 1958, USC Thornton Keyboard Studies faculty Daniel Pollack traveled to Moscow for the first International Tchaikovsky Competition. The 23-year old pianist emerged beside Van Cliburn as a prize winner, and his resulting career has taken him across five continents. In this video, Pollack discusses how students can transition to artists and develop successful careers. (Read more->)

What the Critics Are Saying...

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Daniel Pollack delivers a dazzling performance, reconciling dramatic tension, poignant lyricism and perfect clarity of the architecture.

Pollack’s palette of sound is significant…to hear his pianissimos live is something one should strive to do at least once.

Pollack brings out enough fantasy in Schumann’s famous suite Carnaval, to renew the piece in the listener’s ear.

Prodigious pianism of fiery energy, of dynamic articulation and fullness that towers over the competition.

Pollack embraces the Barber sonata wholeheartedly, using deep resources and myriad details.

Refined, amorous, and infused with the spirit of Chopin, the Nocturne had the imprimatur of Horowitz at Pollack’s fingertips.

Once again Pollack showed himself to be a player of exceptional virtuosity with rare interpretive insights.

Beautiful and natural fluidity, tonal elegance and unostentatious facility.

Pollack became the great name in the Chopin Concerto.

Fascinating was the quality of his (Pollack’s) sound… gentle trills revealed magical sounds.

Pollack’s playing had bravura, profound penetrating feeling and a natural gift for dramatic contrasts and colors.

He possesses a formidable range in tone – from the very powerful to a melting pianissimo.

Once again Pollack showed himself to be a player of exceptional virtuosity with rare interpretive insights.

An interpretation of great scope and abandon.

Astonishing pianism.

His star has ascended. Pollack is having the last laugh on the piano celebrities to whom fame came almost as quickly as it left.

One of the most gifted pianists around with a definite flair for the romantics…

A performer of elegance, sensitivity and taste, with a resonant singing tone that can provoke calm and warmth as well as thunder on high.

Splendid drive and virility.

Pollack’s pliant, powerful fingers unleashed torrents of sound that turned feathery flurries of delicate detachment.

  • Diapason
  • Examiner
  • American Record Guide
  • Repertoire Magazine
  • Gramophone
  • Classical Music Guide
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Beijing, China
  • Arbeiderblad
  • Drehpunkt Kultur
  • El Pais
  • South China Morning Post
  • New York Times
  • Kurier
  • The Washington Post
  • Chicago Tribune
  • TIME Magazine
  • San Francisco Chronicle
  • The Daily Telegraph
  • The Los Angeles Times