Babin, Victor, 1908-1972

Victor Babin was a composer and pianist born in Moscow in 1908. In 1933 he married one of Artur Schnabel's piano pupils Vitya (Victoria) Vronsky with whom he performed as a duo-piano team all over the world. They moved to the United States in 1937. Babin became an American citizen, joined the U.S. Army and continued to give concerts during the Second World War. He taught or administered at the Aspen Music School, the Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood, the Cleveland Institute of Music (where he was director from 1961 until his death) and at Case Western Reserve University. He died in Cleveland in 1972.

Summary: Victor Babin was born in Russia and met his wife/performing partner, Vitya Vronsky, in Berlin. He served as Director at the Aspen Music School (1951-1954), and at the Cleveland Institute of Music (1961-1972). Babin also taught at Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood, and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Babin died in 1972.

Full History: Victor Babin was born in Russia and met his wife/performing partner, Vitya Vronsky, while studying with Artur Schnabel in Berlin. Vronsky also studied with Alfred Cortot and with Egon Petri. Babin and Vronsky embarked upon a career as a duo that took them all over the world. Their recordings were issued by RCA Victor, Columbia, Decca and EMI. Despite a break from performance during World War II (during which Babin served in the Armed Forces as a Private in the U.S. Army, and Vronsky worked with war casualties in Washington D.C. hospitals), the duo still managed to perform well over 1200 concerts in North America alone. From 1951-1954, Babin taught at the Aspen Music School, where he was the director and a member of the Festival Quartet along with Szymon Goldberg, William Primrose and Nikolay Graudan. From 1961 until his death, Babin was Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where both he and Vronsky served on the Institute's faculty. In addition, Babin taught at Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood, and at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Babin died in 1972 and Vronsky died in 1992.