Victor Babin

Victor Babin (1908–1972) was born in Moscow, Russia. He and his wife Vitya Vronsky performed as Vronsky & Babin, and were regarded by many as one of the foremost piano duos of the twentieth century.

Vronsky & Babin were introduced to American audiences through their recordings of the piano music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, who became their friend and mentor. Despite a break from performance during World War II, during which Babin served in the armed forces and Vronsky worked with war casualties in hospitals, the duo still managed to perform over 1,200 concerts in North America alone. In 1961, Babin became Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where both he and Vronsky served on the Institute’s faculty.

Babin also composed a Concerto for Two Pianos, which is in the repertoire of the Contiguglia brothers. His other works included a Capriccio for orchestra, a Konzertstück for violin and orchestra, a string quartet, a Sonata–Fantasia for cello and piano, and the solo piano works Fantasia, Aria and Capriccio and Deux Mouvements dansantes. For two pianos, he wrote Six Studies, Three Fantasies on Old Themes, and Three March Rhythms.

Babin died in 1972, and wife Vronsky continued to teach and perform until her death in 1992.