Edouard Leonidovich Miasnikov Biography
Born on September 9th 1945, in the town of Serpuhov in the Moscow region, young Miasnikov started to learn to play the clarinet at the age of 11.
In 1967, while still a 3rd year student at the Gnessins State Pedagogical Institute of Music (under Professor Ivan Butiurski), Miasnikov started his professional career with the Moscow Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra.
From 1970-1972, Miasnikov was the principal clarinettist of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Fhilarmonia. Under the baton of the famous Russian conductor Kyril Kondrachin, the musician's final artistic formation took place.
For nearly 20 years (1972 - 1991) Miasnikov was the principal clarinettist of the world-famous Russian Bolshoi Theatre's Symphony Orchestra.
For the last two decades, he performed as solo clarinettist, the entire opera and ballet repertoire in one of the world's leading theatres.
Besides playing in the orchestra, the musician often performed solo and in ensemble programmes.
In 1978, with cellist Alexander Ivashkin, he established the Ensemble Soloists of the Bolshoi's orchestra, which was then headed by the young talented conductor, Alexander Lazarev.
The soloists' Ensemble played at many international festivals of contemporary music throughout Europe and America.
To his credit, Miasnikov has under his belt more than 20 recordings.
In 1988 Edouard Miasnikov was conferred with the title of “Honoured Artist of Russia”.
The clarinettist was fortunate to work with such outstanding Russian musicians and conductors as: Boris Khaikin, Kyril Kondrashin, David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Eugene Svetlanov, Genadie Rojdestvenski, Yuri Temirkhanov, Dmitri Kitayenko, Vladimir Fedoseev, Yuri Simonov and Alexander Lazarev.
Since 1991, Miasnikov has worked under contract in the Republic of South Africa as principal clarinettist with South Africa’s prestigious National Symphony Orchestra of the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation). He was also the principal clarinettist with the Transvaal Chamber Orchestra.
He frequently performs as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as with different chamber ensembles.
In 1992 the musician opened his own artists agency “Edouard Miasnikov Agency CC”, to widen the cultural exchange ties between Russia and South Africa.
