Rizol Nikolai (1919 - 2007)

Nikolai Rizol was born December 19th 1919 in Dnepropetrovsk.
He was a teacher, performer and composer and got his first harmonica playing skills from his father, an amateur accordeonist, and first knowledge of musical notation from the teacher Serbin.

From 1935 till 1937 Rizol was pupil of the 45th Panzer Division and the studied at the Kiev College of Music, where he graduated in 1939, having studied accordeon with AF Magdika. In 1951 he graduated from the Kiev Conservatory, where he had studied bayan from M. Gelis.

From 1937 till 1939 he played in duett with Zhuromskaya. Later he formed with Zhuromskaya and the two sisters Bielecki a bayan quartet (1939-1941, 1945-1978). Since 1946 the quartet workde for the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a bayan quartet they travelled to many cities of the Sovjet Union, East Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Estonia. Their repertoire counted over 33 pieces and was recorded for Fund-Unions and Ukrainian Radio. In 1978 Zhuromskaya was in the quartet replaced by Tikhonchuck.
From 1939-1941 and 1945-1948 Nikolai Rizol was bayan teacher at the Kiev College of Music. Since 1948 he was teacher at the Kiev Conservatory. In 1962 he became associate professor at the conservatory of Kiev and since 1973 he became professor at the same conservatory. Among his students he had several winners of national contests.

Rizol got the third prize at the All-Union Review of Folk Music which was held in Moscow in 1939. At the First Ukrainian Republican Contest of Pop Art, held in Kiev in 1950, Nikolai Rizol got the second prize.

Rizol was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War II degree, Red Star.

Nikolai Rizol died on March 17, 2007 and was burried in Kiev ath the Forest Cemetery.
Works:
Fantasia on Ukrainian folk songs and dances
Variations on Russian folks songs and dances
1962 Chardash

Source: Handbook accordeonist, author A. P. Basurmanov
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