Background
Druian was born in Vologda, Russia but immigrated with his parents to Havana, Cuba as an infant.
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Rafael Druian
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At age 9, he went to Philadelphia to audition for Leopold Stokowski, who recommended him for a scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Lea Luboshutz and Efrem Zimbalist, graduating in 1942.
Career
He is remembered for his tenures as concertmaster at the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell and at the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez. Early career
He began his formal music training there as a violinist, studying with Amadeo Roldán, the conductor of the Havana Philharmonic. He then served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, playing the mellophone in the Army Band.
Concertmaster positions
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under Antal Doráti: 1947 – 1949
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, under Antal Doráti: 1949 – 1960
Cleveland Orchestra, under George Szell: 1960 – 1969
New York Philharmonic, under Pierre Boulez: 1971 – 1974
Academic and faculty positions
University of Minnesota
Cleveland Institute of Music, Artist in Residence
California Institute of the Arts, Associate Dean of the Music School, 1969 – 1971
Blossom Music School
Kent State University
State University of New York at Purchase
University of California, San Diego, Professor of Music, 1974 – 1980
The Hartt School
Boston University, 1982? – 1989
Curtis Institute of Music, 1990 – 2001
Notable students
Philip Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet
Herald Klein
Solomiya Ivakhiv
Personal life
Druian was married to Phyllis Rugg Druian.
They had two sons, Peter of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Greg of Portland, Oregon.
