Elhiser Yosyp Moiseevich (December 29, 1929, Nova Zhuchka (suburb of Chernivtsi) - May 24, 2014, Chernivtsi) was a Ukrainian pianist, composer, concertmaster, teacher, and music public figure. Honored Artist of Ukraine, winner of the UNESCO Gold Medal and the title "Golden Name of World Culture".
He was born in Nova Zhuchka, a suburb of Chernivtsi (now part of the city), in the family of a carpenter. From the age of five, he studied piano. By 1940, he had successfully completed 5 grades of the local Romanian school. During the occupation of Bukovyna by German troops in 1943, he and his family were imprisoned in a concentration camp (Marianivka village, Vinnytsia region), and were kept in a ghetto in Kopaigorod. He survived thanks to his ability to paint icons for the local population. Liberated in March 1944 by Soviet troops, he returned to Chernivtsi.
After graduating with honors from Sadhirsk High School, Yosyp studied at the Chernivtsi Medical Institute (1948-1955). At the same time, he graduated from the piano department of the Chernivtsi Music School (1950-1952). From 1955 to 1961, he worked as a surgeon at the Hrozyn District Hospital (Khotyn district, Chernivtsi region).
From 1960 to 1965 he studied at the Tchaikovsky Kyiv Conservatory. P. Tchaikovsky Kyiv Conservatory. In the 2nd year of his studies at the Conservatory, he became a teacher at the Chernivtsi Music School (now the S. Vorobkevych School of Arts), where he later began working and worked for almost 50 years. He taught music-theory subjects, taught piano techniques.
He wrote a number of textbooks and compiled a Russian-Ukrainian musical dictionary. During this time, he brought up a galaxy of talented pianists. He was awarded the badge "Excellence in Education of Ukraine" (1999). He has been engaged in performing practice since childhood. He has performed as a pianist in Chernivtsi, Kyiv, Moscow, Romania and Bulgaria, as a soloist (pianist) with the Chernivtsi Philharmonic and Kyiv Conservatory Symphony Orchestras. He has accompanied such famous performers as D. Hnatiuk, M. Stefiuk, Z. Dolukhanova, I. Oistrakh, A. Solovianenko, M. Rostropovich, O. Krysa, P. Karmalyuk and many others.
The most significant work of recent years was the performance of 27 historical concerts dedicated to piano music - from Bach to Scriabin. Over the course of two years, the maestro played 443 pieces by famous composers. He conducted extensive research work. He is the author of articles for the Ukrainian Music Dictionary.
The maestro's hobby was searching for the names of unjustly forgotten Bukovinian artists: he brought unknown or forgotten works of great composers from everywhere. His collection includes a considerable number of rare scores, including many rare ones. Since 1952, Elhiser was a member of the regional association of composers. In 1998, he became a member of the National All-Ukrainian Music Union, and since 2002 Elhiser has been a member of the Union of Composers of Ukraine. In 2004, he became an Honored Artist of Ukraine and Honored Worker of European Culture of Ukraine, Excellence in Education of Ukraine, an honorary member of the Board of the F. Chopin Society and the Liszt Society.
In 2000, the name of Yosyp Elhiser was inscribed on the "Alley of Stars" in Chernivtsi. He lived and worked in Chernivtsi.
He died on May 24, 2014[1][2] and was buried in Chernivtsi.
Works.
He is the author of 70 songs, romances and choral works, more than 200 instrumental and orchestral pieces.
Many of his works were published in the music collections Bukovyna in Songs, Bukovynskyi Rozmay, Bukovynski Samotsvity, On the Renewed Land, Play Trembito, Bukovynski Wreaths, From the Dniester to the Cheremosh, Bukovynska Estrada, etc.
In 2000-2003, 7 volumes of Yosyp Elhiser's works were published. These are songs for choir and solo performance, romances, piano pieces, works for strings, wind and folk instruments, chamber ensembles (about 250 in total).
In 2002, the CD "Music from Bukovyna" (performed and edited by J. Elgiser) was released in Austria.
Publications
Jewish piano music: arrangements of Jewish folk songs - Chernivtsi: Zoloti Litavry, 2004. 100 p.
Elgiser Y. I am a Bukovynian; songs, romances, choral works, arrangements of Bukovynian folk songs - Chernivtsi: Zoloti Litavry, 2000. - 104 p.
Elhiser Y. I am a Bukovynian: piano pieces, songs and romances / Yosyp Elhiser: Zoloti litavry, 2000. - Issue 2. - I12p.
Elhiser Y. I am a Bukovynian: piano pieces, songs and romances: Zoloti Litavry, 2001. - I10 p.
Elhiser YM I am a Bukovynian: works for piano. Issue 6. - Chernivtsi: Zoloti Litavry, 2002. 244 p.: illus.
Golden chords of Bukovyna: Piano pieces about Bukovyna and songs about the capital of the region, Chernivtsi / edited by J. Elgiser and preface by J. Elgiser - Chernivtsi: Misto, 2001. 169 p.
MU8IK aus der Bukowina / Josef. Oehlgesser, Klavier: CD-ROM.- UUisp: Wien: Soni DADC Austria, 2002.
Awards.
Diploma winner of the first Ukrainian Mykola Lysenko Piano Competition;
Laureate of the S. Vorobkevych Regional Literary and Art Prize (1998);
Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine (2004);
Honored Artist of Ukraine (2004);
Honored Worker of European Culture of Ukraine (2004);
International Gold Medal of UNESCO (1999);
The title "Golden Name of World Culture" (1999);
In 2000, the name of Yosyp Elhiser was inscribed on the "Alley of Stars" in Chernivtsi.
