Abram Mykhailovych Lufer (25 August 1905, Kyiv - 13 July 1948, Kyiv) was a Ukrainian Soviet pianist and teacher, Honoured Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (since 1945).
Biography.
He was born on 12 (25 August) 1905 in Kyiv. In 1925, he graduated from the Kyiv Music College, piano class of H. Beklemishev, in 1928 - from the Lysenko Higher Music and Drama Institute, where in 1928-1934 he taught piano (from 1929 - head of the department). In 1934, he led the reorganisation of music education in Kyiv, headed the Conservatory (it included the 1st Music School, the Music College and the Faculty of Theory and Composition of the Institute; the Conservatory was awarded the Order of Lenin during his tenure); from 1935 he was a professor, until 1941 and in 1944-1948 - director. In 1941-1944, he was director and head of the department of the Sverdlovsk Conservatory. Among his students were T. Goldfarb, A. Lysenko, and S. Daich. In 1939, he was the deputy head of the Department of Arts Affairs at the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR. Member of the CPSU (b) since 1939.
He died on 13 July 1948 in Kyiv. He was buried in Kyiv at the Baikove Cemetery (plot No. 7).
Creativity.
He started performing as a pianist in 1929. In 1930-1941 and 1944-1946, he was a soloist of the Kyiv Philharmonic and the Radio Committee.
He was a winner of the All-Ukrainian Piano Competition in Kharkiv (1st prize, 1930) and the 2nd Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw (3rd prize, 1932).
He promoted works by contemporary Ukrainian composers (V. Kosenko, B. Liatoshynskyi, L. Revutskyi). He published articles on music education, piano, etc.
