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Sofia Moshevich

b. 1949

Ukrainian-born Canadian pianist

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About Sofia Moshevich

Born 1949. Sofia Moshevich is a Canadian pianist, teacher and musicologist.

Sofia Moshevich (; born 1949) is a Ukrainian-born pianist, teacher and researcher who lived in Moscow, Jerusalem and Johannesburg before emigrating to Canada where she now lives in Toronto. Since the early 1970s, she has taken a special interest in the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, making a careful analysis of his recorded performances as a pianist. Two books document the results of her work: Dmitri Shostakovich, Pianist and Shostakovich's Music for Piano Solo, Interpretation and Performance.

Biography Moshevich was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in 1949, where she studied at the school of Professional Music for Gifted Children. From 1967, she studied piano at the Gnessin Institute in Moscow under the Soviet master Naum Shtarkman. She emigrated to Israel in 1975, continuing her studies in musicology under Joachim Braun at the Bar Ilan University (1976–78) while teaching at Jerusalem's Rubin Academy. She also gave public performances as a soloist and accompanist, including recordings for the Israel Broadcasting Authority. She often played pieces by Shostakovich. She moved to South Africa in 1981, where she studied and taught at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and participated in broadcasts for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. She was granted scholarships from the University of Witwatersrand, the Abraham and Olga Lipman Fund and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies Benjamin Newman Bursary (1983–84).

In Dmitri Shostakovich, Pianist, Moshevich reviews the composer's recordings as well as the reception of his performances. The book has received mixed reviews. Shostakovich expert David Fanning describes it as "richly rewarding" when considered as "an enthusiastic fact-gathering mission" but criticises it for a failure to develop a "richer critical vocabulary to articulate the strengths in his playing". Writing in DSCH Journal, Nigel Papworth compliments the work on its coverage of important gaps in the composer's biography and its careful attention to detail. By contrast, Mark Mazullo criticizes the work as presenting a "superficial commentary" on the music of Shostakovich although he admits it contains some new reminiscences and quotes which unfortunately are not adequately discussed.

She has also published on pianist Glenn Gould's Russian tour.

Family Moshevich is the daughter of Mark and Matlia (Matilda) Moshevich and is married to Arik Moshevich (née Poupko). Her maiden name is thus the same as her married name. She has two children: Avital (Tali) Kellerstein and Jonathan.

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Important facts

Born
1949, Kharkiv
Birth century
Nationality
Education
Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, Bar-Ilan University
Employers
Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, University of the Witwatersrand

People in Sofia Moshevich's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sofia Moshevich's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sofia Moshevich?

Ukrainian-born Canadian pianist

When was Sofia Moshevich born?

Sofia Moshevich was born in 1949 in Kharkiv.

What is Sofia Moshevich's occupation?

Sofia Moshevich is a pianist, teacher and musicologist.

What nationality is Sofia Moshevich?

Sofia Moshevich is Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sofia Moshevich

· Wikidata: Q22279299

· DBpedia: Sofia Moshevich

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sofia Moshevich. https://biography.guide/sofia-moshevich/

MLA: "Sofia Moshevich." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sofia-moshevich/.

Chicago: "Sofia Moshevich." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sofia-moshevich/.

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