Leff Pouishnoff

Leff Nicolas Pouishnoff (Russian: Лев Николаевич Пышнов, Lev Nikolayevich Pyshnov) (11 October [O.S. 29 September] 1891 – 28 May 1959) was a Ukrainian-born pianist and composer, who made his home in the United Kingdom and whose career was largely in the West, from the 1920s onwards. He was especially associated with performances of the works of Frédéric Chopin.

Pouishnoff, born into an aristocratic Russian family in either Kiev or Odessa, was drawn to the piano as a young child, and, having acquired some aptitude before the age of ten, gave two public concerts. His parents, not wishing him to be exploited, discouraged this, but after his father's death (when Leff was 9), financial constraints led to his accepting concert engagements, and he rapidly gained a reputation. Special arrangements were made for his schooling, where he had a particular interest in chemistry. At the age of 14 he joined the State Opera Company orchestra, but a chance meeting with Feodor Chaliapin persuaded him to pursue his piano studies.

He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory under Anna Yesipova (piano), with instruction from Rimsky-Korsakov, Liadov and Glazunov (composition) and Nikolai Tcherepnin (conducting). He was one of the most brilliant students of his time, and emerged in 1910 with a first class diploma, a Gold Medal, and a cash prize equivalent to £120 for a voyage to Europe. In that year he competed for the St Petersburg Rubinstein Prize against Arthur Rubinstein, Alexander Borovsky, Julius Isserlis, Edwin Fischer and Alfred Hoehn (the winner). However, instead of embarking at once on a high-profile recital career, he chose instead to make a musical tour through various European countries, studying their music and meeting their musicians, which greatly broadened his experience.

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