Taruskin

Taruskin is a Jewish surname of Ukrainian origin. The name is believed to be derived from the Ukrainian word "taryk" or "tarekh," which refers to a header or a banner. The name is also associated with the Hebrew word "tarushin," which means "the sea lion."

Aleksandr Nikolaevich Taruskin is a Russian musicologist and pianist. Born in 1955, Taruskin earned his Ph.D. in musicology from Moscow State Conservatory. He has taught at various institutions, including the Moscow State Conservatory and the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Taruskin's academic focus is on the music of 19th-century Russia, particularly the lives and works of composers such as Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. His research has explored the cultural and historical contexts of Russian music during this period. He has also written extensively on the reception and critical evaluation of Russian music by Western audiences.

Taruskin's books include "Mussorgsky and His Circle: A Russian Music Adventure" and "Stravinsky and the Russian Path." He has also written articles on a wide range of topics related to 19th- and 20th-century music, including the literary sources of Russian opera and the influence of Christian iconography on Russian composers. Taruskin's scholarship has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.