Obituary: Mikhail "Misha" Boguslavsky

Mikhail "Misha" Boguslavsky 1926 ~ 2005 Mikhail Boguslavsky, 79, died March 17 after a prolonged hospital stay due to complications from diabetes and heart disease. He was born May 16, 1926 in the Ukraine and began his musical training at age six in a school for gifted children. After surviving World War II, he graduated from the prestigious Moscow Conservatory as a soloist and teacher of viola and chamber music. He was the principal violist in the Moscow Radio Symphony and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. With Rudolph Barshai, he helped to found the world famous Moscow Chamber Orchestra with which he played for 20 years, traveling to more than 50 countries and participating in chamber music festivals in Europe, the United States and Japan. He emigrated to America with his wife Nina and son Yuri in 1978. He joined the New Jersey Symphony as principal violist after two years in New York, where he played freelance with the American Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival, the Brooklyn Symphony, the Berlin Ballet at Lincoln Center, and taught at Waterloo Chamber Music School and Festival and the White Mountain Chamber Music Festival. He moved to Utah with his family in 1980, where he played with the Utah Symphony until retiring in 1999. He served as adjunct professor of viola and chamber music at the University of Utah until his death. A highly trained, sensitive musician, he enjoyed a long and distinguished career, winning laurels as one of the finest violists of his time. He passed on his love of music to his many students to whom he was totally devoted and who greatly admire him. They carry on his tradition of musical excellence in San Francisco, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Chile and across Europe. Misha was admired by his colleagues, friends and students for his musicianship, his generosity, his zest for life, his love of his newfound homeland, and his boundless sense of humor. No one appreciated or told a good joke like Misha did! His signature greeting on his answer machine is, "It's a free country. Say something." He is survived by his wife Nina of Salt Lake City, his son Yuri, who works at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, his sister Greta and her family, the family of his late brother, Boris. His favorite old Volvo 240 is still running. A graveside service will be held Thursday, March 24 at 3 p.m. in the B'nai Israel section of the Salt Lake City Cemetery (4th Avenue between Q and R Streets). A memorial concert to celebrate Misha's life will be held in the Dumke Auditorium of the Fine Arts Museum on the University of Utah campus March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Misha's family and friends ask that in lieu of flowers or contributions to other causes, donations in Misha's memory be sent to The Misha Boguslavsky Chamber Music Scholarship Fund, with checks made out to the Boguslavsky Scholarship Fund. Please send contributions c/o Henry & Ciccarello, LLC, 1414 E. 4500 South, Suite 2, SLC, UT 84117.