Nelly Akopian-Tamarina

Nelly Surenovna Akopian-Tamarina was a Russian and British pianist. Born in Moscow, she demonstrated exceptional talent at a young age, performing Haydn concertos with an orchestra at the age of nine. She graduated from the Central Music School in the class of Anaida Sumbatyan and later from the Moscow Conservatory in 1964. There, she became one of the last students of Alexander Goldenweiser and the first student of Dmitri Bashkirov. While still a student, she won the Robert Schumann International Competition in the GDR in 1963. In 1974, she was awarded the Robert Schumann Prize in the same location, recognized as a dedicated interpreter of Schumann's repertoire. She was also renowned for her interpretations of works by Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms.

During the 1970s, Akopian-Tamarina's performance career was significantly obstructed by Soviet authorities after her sister applied to emigrate from the USSR to Israel. She eventually managed to leave for Prague, where she devoted herself primarily to teaching and painting. Later, she settled in the United Kingdom and resumed her concert career. In 2002, she performed in Moscow after a 25-year absence.

Her 2006 performance in Kyiv received positive critical acclaim, particularly her rendition of the Schumann Piano Concerto, which was described as being executed with maximally saturated colors. Critics noted that her interpretation appeared significantly exaggerated, as if shown in slow motion, giving details of passages and ornaments a weight rarely attributed to them. She continued to give concerts in the United Kingdom until her later years. She passed away on June 19, 2025, following a prolonged illness.

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