Mikhail Press

Mikhail (Moisei) Isaakovich Press, also known as Michael Press, was a distinguished Russian and American violinist, conductor, and music pedagogue. Born in Vilno (now Vilnius) in the Russian Empire, he began his musical training early, picking up the violin at age eight and making his public debut at ten. He studied under the conductor and pedagogue Vasily Eban and displayed significant talent as a child prodigy; by the age of thirteen, he was already serving as the concertmaster at the Vilno Opera Theatre. During his youth, he also conducted the Karataev opera troupe, which toured extensively throughout Russia.

In 1897, Press entered the Moscow Conservatory to study violin under Ivan Grzhimali, graduating with a gold medal in 1899. He sought further refinement in Belgium with the legendary Eugène Ysaÿe in 1901, with whom he later performed in duets. Returning to Russia, he served as a professor at the Conservatory of the Moscow Philharmonic Society from 1901 to 1904. He was deeply involved in chamber music, establishing the Russian Trio in 1905, an ensemble that included his wife, pianist V. I. Maurina, and his brother, cellist I. I. Press.

Between 1906 and 1914, Press resided in Berlin and toured internationally. He returned to Moscow to teach at the Conservatory from 1915 to 1918, taking over the position previously held by his teacher, Grzhimali. Following the October Revolution, Press emigrated to Germany and subsequently to Gothenburg, Sweden, where he conducted the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra for two years. In 1922, he emigrated to the United States, making his American debut shortly thereafter.

In the United States, Press established a significant pedagogical career. He joined the violin faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1924, serving for a year as an assistant to Carl Flesch. He was also a member of the Trio of Old Masters alongside cellist Leo Schulz. From 1928 until his death in 1938, he taught at Michigan State College in East Lansing. Beyond teaching, he appeared as a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His notable students included Vadim Borisovsky and the renowned violin teacher Dorothy DeLay. The composer Paul Juon dedicated his first violin concerto to Press in 1909.

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