Viktor Tretiakov

The son of a musician who played in the military band in Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, he started to play violin at the age of seven.

In 1966, at age 19, he won first prize in the Third International Tchaikovsky Competition[2] and was invited to appear on several international concert tours—something that had become much easier after the pioneering visits outside the Soviet Union by artists such as Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Mstislav Rostropovich and David Oistrakh.

Named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1987,[2] Tretyakov was granted the Russian Prize for the encouragement of achievements in art and literature known as "Triumph". He is laureate of the Shostakovich Prize, awarded by the Yuri Bashmet International Charitable Foundation, and the Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR (1981).

In 2001, he was awarded the Order of Service to the Fatherland by President Vladimir Putin.

Since winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966, Tretyakov has performed with almost every major orchestra in the world.

For many years, Tretyakov has taught at the Moscow State Conservatory. In 1996, he also began to teach in Cologne, Germany.

An active chamber musician, Tretyakov has performed together with Mstislav Rostropovich, Svyatoslav Richter, the Borodin Quartet, Oleg Kagan, David Geringas, Evgeny Kissin and Elisabeth Leonskaja. Together with Vassily Lobanov, Yuri Bashmet and Natalia Gutman, he has formed a piano quartet which performs regularly.