Yuri Usov (1930-99)	Aug 14 99

Dr. Yuri Alexeyevich Usov, Professor of Trumpet at the Moscow State Conservatory and one of Russia's most esteemed trumpet pedagogues, died at 5 p.m. on April 25, 1999 from a heart attack, suffered at his dacha near Moscow. Usov was born in Moscow on December 3, 1930. Initially trained as a violinist, he was assigned to duty as a trumpeter with a military band during World War II (1944). Following the war, he completed his studies at the Kaluga Music College (1951, class of Yuri Zhdanov). In 1956 he graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory (class of Sergei Eryomin --- student of Michail Tabakov); and completed the post-graduate program at the Conservatory in 1959. In 1957 he won First Prize at the International Festival of Youths and Students held in Moscow. Usov released a recording of Music for Trumpet and Piano featuring various Soviet composers, including the Sonata by Tatiana Smirnova, on the Melodiya label in 1977. Dr. Yuri Usov As a young student he was recognized by his mentors as possessing a proclivity for academics. This ultimately was proven by his completion of the Doctor of Music degree in 1972 and the Doctor of Philosophy (Doctor of Arts Science - Musicology) degree in 1980, both degrees being earned at the Moscow State Conservatory. He received his first appointment as Prepodavatel (Instructor) to the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory in 1956 after having served from 1955 on the faculty of the Moscow Music College (the preparatory school under the Moscow Conservatory). He was promoted to the rank of Docent in 1967 and ultimately received appointment as Professor in 1980. As an author of pedagogical materials, Usov's work was published extensively within the USSR. The Ministry of Culture published state approved methodic programs in applied trumpet, brass chamber music, and brass methods for all stages of music education within the Soviet Union with editions appearing in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1973 and 1975. He compiled and published several anthologies of repertoire for brass ensembles and for trumpet: Khrestomativa pedagogicheskoga repertuara dlya ansamblya mednyh duhovyh instrumentov - 1968, and Khrestomativa pedagogicheskoga repertuara dlya truby - in 3 parts in 1978, and again in 1981 and 1983. In 1970 the Soviet Ministry of Culture published his program of the History of Performance on Wind Instruments which was approved for all state conservatories. In addition to many transcriptions of music arranged for trumpet and piano, Professor Usov authored numerous books of importance to Soviet musicians. These include The Trumpet (1966), The History of Performance on Wind Instruments in Russia (1975, 1986, 1989), Method of Teaching Trumpet Playing (1989), Trumpet Tutor (1985), and The Modern Trumpeter's Technique (1986). Dr. Usov authored numerous articles in pedagogical collections and seventy articles in Music Encyclopedia, the principal Russian language music reference, and more than 100 liner notes to various recordings released on the Melodiya label. In recognition of his artistic and academic achievements the Soviet government conferred upon him the title "Honored Statesman of Arts of the Russian Federation." His last published work was Daily Technical Exercises for Trumpet by World Pedagogues (Moscow, 1996). Usov served as a juror for the Moscow International Trumpet Competitions in 1995 and 1997 and for the Kiev International Trumpet Competition held in October of 1998. Included among Professor Usov's many outstanding students are Alexander Bevz (Professor, Nishni Novgorod Conservatory), Igor Belov (Solo Cornet, Moscow Music Theater), Yuri Vlasenko (Co-principal Trumpet, Russian State Symphony Orchestra under Evgeny Svetlanov), Leonid Guryiev (prize winner of the Second Moscow International Trumpet Competition 1997 and Principal Trumpet, Moscow Symphony Orchestra under Veronica Dudarova), Ivan Maloshtanov (Second Trumpet, Russian National Orchestra under Michail Pletnyov), Vadim Novikov (Professor, Moscow Conservatory, former member of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra), and Alexei Parshenkov (Assistant Principal Trumpet, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra). A memorial service was conducted for Dr. Yuri Usov in the Small (Malyi) Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on April 29, 1999 with interment at the Golovinsky Cemetery in Moscow. He is survived by his wife, Irina Michailova Usova, a member of the choral conducting faculty in the Musical College under the Moscow Conservatory. Source: Leonard Candelaria

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