Tatiana Nikolayeva From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tatiana Petrovna Nikolayeva (Russian: Татьяна Пeтрoвнa Николаева, Tat'jana Petrovna Nikolaeva; May 4, 1924–November 22, 1993) was a Russian Soviet pianist, composer and teacher. Nikolayeva was born in Bezhitsa[1] in the Bryansk district on 4 May 1924. She studied piano from the age of three. She entered the Moscow Conservatory, studying with Alexander Goldenweiser and Evgeny Golubev, and graduated in 1948. In 1950 Nikolayeva gained prominence by winning the Bach Leipzig Piano Competition, part of the bicentennial marking Bach's death. More importantly, she met Dmitri Shostakovich at the competition leading to a lifelong friendship and inspiring Shostakovich to compose his 24 Preludes and Fugues. In 1959 Nikolayeva became a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, later becoming professor in 1965. She made over 50 recordings during her career, notably keyboard works by Bach, including his Art of Fugue, and by Beethoven, but only became widely known in the West late in life. With the fall of Communism, she found herself in demand internationally, making several concert tours to Europe and America. Her third recording of the Shostakovich 24 Preludes and Fugues won the 1991 Gramophone award in the instrumental category. On 13 November 1993, while playing the same work in concert in San Francisco, Nikolayeva was stricken by a cerebral haemorrhage and was unable to complete the performance. She died nine days later, on 22 November. [2] (Some sources say she died on 13 November, but this is incorrect.)