Vladimir Oskarovich Feltsman is a Russian-American classical pianist particularly noted for his devotion to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Frédéric Chopin. Born on January 8, 1952, he debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic when he was eleven and studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky, Moscow, and Leningrad Conservatories. In 1971, he won the Grand Prix at the Marguerite Long International Piano Competition in Paris. Due to growing discontent with Soviet ideology, Feltsman applied for an exit visa from the Soviet Union in 1979, which resulted in an immediate ban on public performances until his departure in 1987. His first concert in North America took place at the White House on September 27, 1987, followed by a performance at Carnegie Hall on November 11, 1987. His discography includes six albums of clavier works of J.S. Bach, recordings of Beethoven's complete rondos and variations, and solo piano works of Franz Schubert.
