Violinist Nelli Shkolnikova has died in Australia. Born in the Ukraine in 1928, Shkolnikova studied with Yuri Yankelevich at the Moscow Conservatoire. She launched her international career after winning first prize at the Long-Thibaud Competition in 1953. She made three tours to the US, appearing at Lincoln Center and with the Philadelphia under Eugene Ormandy.

In 1970 the Soviet authorities restricted Shkolnikova to appearing only in Eastern bloc countries. On receiving permission to perform in West Berlin in 1982, she defected, settling first in Melbourne, where she resumed her concert career and taught at the Victorian College of the Arts. In 1987 Isaac Stern recommended her for a teaching position at the Indiana University School of Music. She taught there until 2005, when she retired and relocated to Melbourne.

Topics