Boris Kuschnir

Boris Kuschnir (born 1948) is an Austrian violinist and academic.

Born in Kiev in 1948, he studied violin with Boris Belenky at the Moscow Conservatoire and chamber music with Valentin Berlinsky of the Borodin Quartet.

In 1982 became an Austrian citizen. He is a Professor at the Konservatorium Wien University since 1984 and also a distinguished Professor at the University of Music in Graz since 1999.

Playing in various chamber music ensembles, he co-founded the Wiener Schubert Trio in 1984, the Vienna Brahms Trio in 1993 and the Kopelman Quartet in 2002.

Several of Kuschnir's students were successful at international violin competitions: Julian Rachlin (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Amsterdam 1988), Nikolaj Znaider (1st Prize of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Brussels 1997), Sergey Dogadin (1st Prize of the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, Hannover 2015 and Grand Prix of the Yuri Yankelevich International Violin Competition in Omsk, Russia 2013), Pavel Milyukov (3rd Prize International Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow 2015, 1st Prize Aram Khachaturian International Competition, 2012, 2nd Prize Seoul International Music Competition, 2012), Lidia Baich (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Vienna 1998), Dalibor Karvay (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Berlin 2002; 1st Prize International Tibor Varga Competition, Switzerland 2003; 1st Prize David Oistrakh Competition, Moscow 2008), Alexandra Soumm (1st Prize Eurovision Grand Prix for Young Musicians, Lucerne 2004), Lorenzo Gatto (2nd Prize Queen Elizabeth Competition, Brussels 2009), Pavel Milyukov (1st Prize Aram Khachaturian International Competition, 2012, 2nd Prize Seoul International Music Competition, 2012) and Yevgeny Chepovetsky (2nd Prize David Oistrakh International Competition, Moscow 2008 and 3rd Prize Luois Spohr Competition, 2013), Yuuki Wong (2nd Prize Michael Hill Competition, New Zealand 2007), Julia Turnovsky (3rd Prize David Oistrakh International Competition, Moscow 2008) and Aleksey Igudesman (Igudesman & Joo). In addition to this he educated more than 40 laureates of national and international competitions. His pupils have been appointed Professors at Universities, playing in various chamber music ensembles and orchestras of the world – 6 of his students play at the Vienna Philharmonics.

Kuschnir gives masterclasses at renowned classical music events like the Verbier Festival Academy and Kronberg Academy. He appears as a jury member of various international music competitions such as the Queen Elizabeth Music Competition in Brussels, Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Niccolò Paganini Competition in Genua, the Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, Joseph Joachim Competition in Hannover, Tibor Varga Competition in Switzerland, Michael Hill Competition in New Zealand, Eurovision Competition, David Oistrakh Competition in Moscow, Pablo de Sarasate Competition in Pamplona, George Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Seoul International Music Competition, Violin Masters in Monte Carlo, ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Louis Spohr Competition in Weimar, Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Fermo, Aram Khachaturian International Competition in Jerewan, the Yankelevitch International Violin Competition in Omsk and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

In 1984 Boris Kuschnir founded the Wiener Schubert Trio which received many prestigious awards, among them the 1. Prize at the international Chamber Music Competition Sergio Lorenzi in Trieste, the Mozart Interpretationspreis 1988 in Vienna and the Prize of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation 1990.

Kuschnir founded the Vienna Brahms Trio in 1993. In 1996, the Trio won First Prize at the 9th International Chamber Music Competition in Illzach, France. Their recording of Schumann’s complete works for Piano trio was released on the Naxos label in 1999.

He was co-founder of the Kopelman Quartet in 2002 with which he is giving concerts all over the world since and has released CDs at Nimbus Records and Wigmore Hall Live.

Boris Kuschnir plays a violin made by Antonio Stradivari, the “ex Rouse-Boughton”, made in Cremona, 1698. It was given to him as a loan in 1991 by the Austrian National Bank in recognition of his artistic performance and his service rendered to music.