Proshko, Nikolai Vikentievich

Born on July 16, 1931, into a peasant family in the village of Khvosti, Boginsky district, Vilna province of the Polish state , to which the western part of the BSSR belonged until 1939 The father and mother came from ethnic Belarusians who lived in the joint Belarusian-Lithuanian-Polish lands. His father, Proshko Vikenty Nikolayevich, served in the Russian Tsarist army and had the Cross of St. George for merits in the First World War . Mother, Proshko Pavlina Ilinichna, was a housewife and raised 5 children. The youngest in the family - Nikolay Proshko, from an early age showed outstanding musicality. The first time he picked up a homemade balalaika at the age of 5, and at 8 he played the harmonica.

To end the Polish, and then the Belarusian school prevented the Great Patriotic War . The family was evacuated to the Urals in the city of Magnitogorsk .

In 1948 he entered the Magnitogorsk Musical College , where he studied the balalaika, accordion, piano and composition.

In the period 1948 - 1951 is actively involved in the organization and performances of the orchestra of folk amateur music school, as well as individual creative groups. The Ural School of Populists of those years brought up many talented musicians, with whom Nikolay Proshko later worked in Moscow and Minsk ( Krasnoyartsev Vladimir Sergeevich / State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble “Russia” named after L. Zykina , Sinetsky Boris Vasilievich / Belarusian Academy of Music (inaccessible reference) and others.).

In 1951, as a talented performer, noticed by Professor Ilyukhin A.S. (Department of Folk Instruments of the Gnesins Institute in Moscow), is sent to study in the balalaika class at the Moscow Music Pedagogical Institute. Gnesinykh , where he improves the technique of performance, composition, conducting (teachers Ilyukhin AS, Pozdnyakov AB, Shishakov Yu.N., Reznikov NP, etc.). Improving in the class of Professor Ilyukhin A.S. among his other students ( M. Rozhkov , O. Glukhov, A. Tikhonov, and others) becomes a professional and masterly balalaika player. Study and friendship with fellow student Vladimir Fedoseyev , Fedor Legkunts, A. Belyakov, acquaintance and joint performances with Michael Tariverdiev and others form the creative way of the musician.

In 1952-55 member of the orchestra of the Institute. Gnesinyh and other ensembles of folk instruments. Improves the technique of solo performance, conducting, composition, pedagogy.

In 1955-56 plays in the orchestra of folk instruments under the supervision of A. Semenov at Moestrade .

In 1957, he became a silver laureate at the All-Union Competition of Performers, held as part of the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students , virtuously speaking with a classical program (1st place for the soloist of the State Concert PI Necheporenko ).

In 1959, Nikolay Proshko returned to Minsk as a patriot of his native land, where he worked as a teacher in the department of folk instruments of the Belarusian State Conservatory . He conducts active propaganda activities of the balalaika folk instrument in Belarus, organizes orchestral work , tours the philharmonic society around the country, works on compositions and transcriptions, develops the methodology and tutorial for playing the balalaika, works in contact with Belarusian musicians: Luchenok I.M. , Rovdo V.V. , Nosko M. , Hanok E.S. , Mulavin V.G. et al., meets with Moscow musicians and composers: Ilyukhin S.Yu. , Chaykin N., Necheporenko P.I., Rozhkov I.F. Fedoseev V.I. and etc..

In 1960 he organized and became the conductor and director of the Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments of the Palace of Culture of the Trade Union Council of Belarus. Selection of musicians , classical repertoire, touring the country .

In 1961, he met his future wife, a gold graduate of the Belarusian State Conservatory (class of Tamara Nikolaevna Nizhnikova), the future soloist of the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the BSS R - Raisa Ivanovna Schurok.

In December 1962, son Vladimir was born in the family of Nikolay and Raisa Proshko.

Creative depth , professionalism in the work of Nikolai Proshko and loyalty to the profession is highly appreciated in the Ministry of Culture of the BSSR and in the creative circles of populists in Moscow. Conservatory teacher Nikolai Proshko is promoted to the position of assistant professor. There are repeated invitations to continue working in Moscow. However, Nikolai Proshko focuses on creating his own compositions, preparing talented Belarusian youth, recording solo programs on Belarusian television and radio, sounding and filming (“Ruins Shoot”, 1971). Work as a director at a music school in Minsk.

1965 - the death of Proshko’s father, Vincent Nikolayevich, in the village of Khvosta, Braslav District, Vitebsk Region.

1972 - student Tamara Shafranova of the balalaika class of associate professor of the Belarusian State Conservatory Nikolai Proshko receives the first prize at the All-Union Festival of Folk Music. Subsequently, T. Shafranova organizes the famous octet of the balalaika girls “Vitebsk virtuosos” , which conquers with the virtuoso performance of the works even today, continuing the traditions of N. Proshko.

Until 1974 - Conductor of the Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments of the Belarusian State Academy of Music (until 1992 - the Belarusian State Conservatory. A. Lunacharsky ).

The talent of Nikolai Proshko as a virtuoso balalaika was appreciated in many countries.

In 1966, touring in Poland .

In 1967, touring in Finland and Hungary .

In 1973, touring in France and the GDR .

In 1978, the tour and master class in Switzerland , the Conservatory of Lausanne .

1980 - participation with folk groups and orchestras of Belarus in conducting concerts for the participants of the Olympic Games in Moscow.

In 1981 he was promoted to the rank of professor at the Department of Folk Instruments of the Belarusian State Conservatory.

Active participation and creative meetings with populists, instrumentalists, performers, teachers, publishers in Minsk and Moscow. Composer activities, solo performances, the publication of teaching materials, his own works for piano, balalaika and orchestra. Reprint of previously written works, transcriptions and instrumentation. The organization of the balalaika orchestra at the Belarusian State Conservatory. Listening, selection and further training of talented balalaika music schools of the cities of Belarus.

In 1985, Professor Nicholas Proshko was invited to the United States by the American Association of Balalaika and Domra (BDAA) to conduct a master class and tour the cities of the Association after visiting the leading participants of the BDAA Conservatory in Minsk.

1987 - the death of the wife of Raisa Proshko after a long severe illness. The death of the spouse, with whom all the joint creative life was connected, became a heavy loss for the musician.

In 1989, Nikolai Vikentyevich Proshko passed away.