Vladimir Belov

Who was Vladimir Belov?

Vladimir Belov was a Russian pianist and teacher.

A student of Felix Blumenfeld, he launched a successful career as a concert pianist. After a traumatic onstage blackout, he decided to quit performing and devote himself solely to teaching. The only occasions in which he agreed to perform were concerts in memory of his teacher, Blumenfeld.

As a teacher in the Moscow Conservatory, he was known to be very soft-spoken and lenient with students, whom he taught as a group. Among his students were Aleksandr Baltin and Edison Denisov. He also edited a few Russian sheet music editions.

A rare LP recording of Belov is available in the Melodya label, titled "Pupils of Felix Blumenfeld". It features recordings of Maria Grinberg, Simon Barere, Vladimir Horowitz and Belov. Although short, this recording attests to his being a formidable pianist.