Alexander Zakin

Alexander Zakin (22 January 190316 October 1990) was a Russian pianist, best known for being the accompanist of the violinist Isaac Stern between 1940 and 1977. They appeared together in many of the world's most prestigious concert halls and made many recordings together.

Early years Zakin was born to a violinist father in Tobolsk, Tobolsk Governorate and began studying at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory from the age of 8. He was a pupil of Aleksander Michałowski from 1911 to 1914, and then studied under Leonid Nikolayev. He emigrated in 1921 and studied music in Berlin, making his solo debut as a performer there in 1926. They performed for a few years on the radio and in concert, while also making gramophone recordings. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was a performer in parts of Central Europe, giving recitals and supporting chamber-music ensembles. After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he fled to Luxembourg and became a piano teacher to the royal family and was employed by the Radio Luxembourg. David and Igor Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in an illustrious career which saw him in frequent contact with impresario Sol Hurok. Zakin played the piano at the White House on several occasions during the terms of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. His performances of the sonatas of Brahms with Stern received considerable acclaim, amongst other performances they did together. He died on October 16, 1990, at the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City of heart failure, aged 87.