Background
He was born into a highly musical family, his father and grandfather, Alexander and Nikolai, being distinguished Russian composers, and his mother Ming a well-known pianist.
He was born into a highly musical family, his father and grandfather, Alexander and Nikolai, being distinguished Russian composers, and his mother Ming a well-known pianist.
He studied with Leon Kirchner, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Henri Pousseur, and Pierre Boulez.
After teaching briefly at both the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Stanford University, he became director of the Harvard University Electronic Music Studio from 1972, remaining there until his death in 1998. The Tcherepnin legacy continues with two of Ivan"s sons, Stefan and Sergei. His performance of "Santur Opera" earned the 1982 Grand Prize of the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.
Tcherepnin"s notable students include Curt Cacioppo.