About Gregor Piatigorsky
Gregor Piatigorsky (; Russian: Григорий Павлович Пятигорский, romanized: Grigory Pavlovich Pyatigorsky; April 17 [O.S. April 4] 1903 – August 6, 1976) was a Ukrainian-born Russian and American cellist. == Biography == === Early life === Gregor Piatigorsky was born in Yekaterinoslav (present-day Dnipro), Ukraine into a Jewish family. As a child, he was taught violin and piano by his father. But after being captivated by the cello at an orchestra concert, he was inspired to become a cellist. Piatigorsky constructed a cello made from two sticks, a long stick for the cello, and a short stick for the bow, and performed on it. Soon after, he received his first cello for his seventh birthday. Piatigorsky won a scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory, studying with Alfred von Glehn, Anatoliy Brandukov, and a certain Gubariov. At the same time, he was earning money for his family by playing in local cafés, brothels and silent movie houses. Piatigorsky was 13 when the Russian Revolution took place. Shortly afterward, he started playing in the Lenin Quartet.
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