Natan Rakhlin

Rakhlin, Natan Grigor’evich 

Born Dec. 28, 1905 (Jan. 10, 1906), in Snovsk, now Snovskoe, Chernigov Oblast. Soviet conductor. People’s Artist of the USSR (1948). Member of the CPSU since 1947.

From 1923 to 1927, Rakhlin attended the Kiev Conservatory. In 1930 he graduated from the department of conducting of the N. V. Lysenko Higher Musical Drama Institute. He studied under V. Berdiaev and A. I. Orlov.

From 1937 to 1962, Rakhlin directed the State Symphony Orchestra of the Ukrainian SSR, and from 1941 to 1945, the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. In 1966 he became artistic director and principal conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Tatar ASSR. From 1946 to 1966, Rakhlin was a professor at the Kiev Conservatory, and in 1967 he became a professor at the Kazan Conservatory.

An outstanding Soviet conductor, Rakhlin is known for his interpretation of both Russian classical music, including the works of P. I. Tchaikovsky and A. N. Scriabin, and the works of Soviet composers, including Ukrainian composers.

Rakhlin won second prize at the First All-Union Conductor’s Competition in 1938. A recipient of the State Prize of the USSR (in 1952), he has been awarded the Order of Lenin, two other orders, and various medals.

REFERENCE

Sovremennye dirizhery. Compiled by L. Grigor’ev and la. Platek. Moscow, 1969.