Daniel Zaretzky
Daniel Zaretsky, born in 1964 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), is a distinguished Russian organist and pianist. He graduated from the Leningrad State Conservatory, where he studied under Professors Nina Ivanovna Oksentian and Eduard Bazanov. Furthering his education, he completed postgraduate studies at the Kazan State Conservatory under Professor Rubin Kabirovich Abdullin and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Professor Kari Jussila, graduating with honors in 1993.
Zaretsky has participated in master classes with renowned organists such as Guy Bovet, Jean Guillou, Marie-Claire Alain, and Harald Vogel. His performance career began in 1986, and he has since played at prestigious venues across the former USSR and internationally, including in Europe, the USA, Israel, Australia, and South America. He has recorded seven CDs and has been a jury member at numerous international organ competitions.
In 1991, Zaretsky won the first prize at the All-Russian Open Competition of Organists and received third prize at the International Competition of Organists in Speyer, Germany. He was also a finalist in international competitions in Italy and Finland.
From 1997 to 2007, he served as the organist at the St. Petersburg Academic Shostakovich Philharmonic. He has held teaching positions at the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory and the St. Petersburg State University. Since 2011, he has been the head of the Faculty of Organ and Harpsichord at the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire. Many of his students have achieved success in international and national competitions.
In recognition of his contributions to music, Daniel Zaretsky was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia in 2006.