Lev Natochenny

Who is Lev Natochenny?

Lev Natochenny is a Russian-American classical pianist and professor of piano.

Born in Moscow, Natochenny graduated from the Moscow "Tchaikovsky" Conservatoire, where he was taught by Lev Oborin. He also studied with Boris Zemliansky and Eliso Virsaladze as well as with Alexei Lubimov and worked in the violin class with David Oistrakh.

In 1978, because of his discontent with the Soviet government's control of the music scene, Natochenny applied for and was granted the permission to leave the USSR, which he did in 1978. He went on to receive a Gold Medal and Second Prize at the 1981 Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy while he was stateless.

In the West Natochenny had further study with Ania Dorfmann at the Juilliard School. He held teaching positions at the Manhattan School of Music, the Mannes College of Music and the City University of New York. He now holds a Lifetime Distinguished Professor Chair at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.