Ivan Khandoshkin

Russian Baroque Violinist and Composer

Ivan Khandoshkin (1747–1804) was a Russian violinist, composer and music educator of Ukrainian Cossack origin, who has been described as "the finest Russian violinist of the eighteenth century" and is considered as one of the founding fathers of Russian school of violin. Ivan studied in Italy with Giuseppe Tartini, Domenico Dall’Oglio and other prominent teachers. After returning from Italy in 1765, Khandoshkin started working as a musician and concertmaster at the Russian court. He also taught the violin at the Yekaterinoslav Musical Academy, founded by Potemkin in 1785. Apart from violin, Ivan Khandoshkin also played on guitar and balalaika. Khandoshkin composed over 100 works for violin, including variations on folk songs and three sonatas. His music had been published in XVIII century and compared by some critics with Antonio Lolli, Gaetano Pugnani, and Louis Spohr. In 1947, the State Publishing House in Moscow printed a newly discovered Viola Concerto in C Major (1801) by Khandoshkin. The unknown work had been performed by Rudolf Barshai and Moscow Chamber Orchestra for the record on Melodiya. Later it turned out to be a musical hoax of Mikhail Goldstein.