Anatoly Katz

Anatoly Iosifovich Katz (July 10, 1936 – January 21, 2017) was a Soviet and Russian pianist, composer, and educator. He held the titles of Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1988) and Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation. Katz served as a professor at the Saratov State Conservatory named after L. V. Sobinov and was the artistic director and a soloist at the Saratov Regional Philharmonic named after A. G. Schnittke. He was born in Leningrad into a Jewish family.

After graduating from the ten-year music school affiliated with the Leningrad Conservatory, Anatoly Katz enrolled in the Saratov State Conservatory in 1955. He completed his higher education in the class of Professor A. O. Satanovsky and subsequently pursued postgraduate studies at the Moscow State Conservatory under the guidance of Professor N. P. Emelyanova.

In 1964, Katz returned to the Saratov Conservatory, by which time he was already a laureate of the All-Union Competition in Moscow (1961) and an International Competition in Prague (1963). From 1966, he also worked as a soloist with the Saratov Philharmonic. He became one of the leading professors at the conservatory and the artistic director of the philharmonic.

Throughout his extensive concert career, Katz performed a vast number of solo and symphonic programs in cities across Russia and the CIS countries. He toured actively abroad, including a series of concerts in Italy in 2005–2006. His performing style was noted for its artistry, refined sound, subtle lyricism, and profound intimacy. These qualities were especially evident in his interpretations of works by Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, and other Romantic composers, as well as Russian composers, who formed a significant part of his repertoire.

Katz demonstrated a keen interest in the music of 20th-century composers. He was the first performer in Russia of works such as Leonard Bernstein's "The Age of Anxiety" and Akira Ifukube's "Ritmica ostinata." He regularly included compositions by Arnold Schoenberg, Alfred Schnittke, and Galina Ustvolskaya in his concert programs.

In addition to his performance career, Katz was a dedicated educator and contributor to the international music scene. He conducted master classes at conservatories in Italy and at Vladimir Spivakov's International Festival in Colmar, France. He also served on the juries of international competitions both in Russia and abroad.

As a composer, Anatoly Katz had a long and fruitful collaboration with the Saratov Youth Theater. He wrote the music for numerous stage productions, including "Hey you, hello!", "Privates", "As You Like It", "The Golden Key", and "Thumbelina".

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