Musician who distinguished himself early on as the winner of the first International Chopin Piano Competition, which was held in 1927.
He attended the Moscow Conservatory in 1921, studying piano and composition.
He debuted numerous modern compositions, including Khachaturian, Myaskovsky, Prokofiev, Shebalin, and Shostakovich.
His family was transient for most of his childhood, but he was enrolled in music school as soon as they established themselves in Moscow around 1914.
He was taught by Konstantin Igumnov, who urged him to enter the First International Chopin Piano Competition.
