Fedor Osver was born in 2003 in the city of Moscow. He studied at the Children’s Music School of the Academic Music College at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he was taught by Yuri Yegorov. He graduated from the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music (College), where he studied under Denis Osver. Since 2021, he has been a student at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studies under Professor Alexei Utkin. In 2020, Fyodor became the winner of the III International Competition-Festival for Young Performers on Wind and Percussion Instruments named after the Gnessins and received the Third Prize at the International Grand Prix Competition “Golden Talents” (Kursk). The year 2021 brought him victory at the International Competition of the Moscow Conservatory for performers on wind and percussion instruments. In 2023, he was awarded the Second Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. In 2024, he received the First Prize at the All-Russian Music Competition. He has participated in the programs of the Saint Petersburg Music House since 2021. In May of this year, Fedor Osver was awarded the Second Prize at the Prague Spring International Music Competition, as well as the Audience Choice Award, the Bärenreiter Publishing Prize, and the Prize of the City of Prague as the most successful laureate (Czech Republic, Prague). 

Fedor Osver: The competition program included works in a variety of styles – from Baroque to a piece written specifically for the competition in 2024. The participants performed in duet with a pianist: Schumann-Lucarelli – Adagio and Allegro. This arrangement by the American oboist has firmly entered the oboe repertoire and is frequently included in the programs of international competitions. In the second round, one could choose from three pieces: three movements from the Sonata for Oboe and Piano by the French composer Louis Coqlin, the Suite for Oboe and Piano by Slavický, or the Serenade for Oboe and Piano by Jolivet. I chose Jolivet, because among the proposed works, I liked this music the most. Moreover, my professor Alexei Yuryevich Utkin is very fond of this composition and has a great deal to say about it. The program also included works for solo oboe. In the first round – Fantasia No. 9 in E major by Telemann; in the second – a contemporary piece composed specifically for the competition: Clussac – Playing the Oboe Clearly for Oneself. It was a very interesting experience to perform Mozart’s Quartet K. 370 for oboe, violin, viola, and cello with the Zemlinsky Quartet. They are phenomenal professionals who rehearsed this piece twelve times with each of the second-round participants, and then performed it twelve times at the competition the next day – flawlessly from a technical standpoint, and always striving to match each participant’s interpretation. This experience left a deep impression on me – magnificent music and a stunning ensemble. In the final round, we had to perform two concertos for oboe with orchestra – one was mandatory (Concerto by Hemroth), and the other could be chosen by the participant: either the Concerto by Martinu or the Concerto by Zimmermann. Most of the participants chose the concerto by the Czech composer. For me, the performance of Martinu’s Concerto was particularly memorable. It became the culmination of the entire competition – the final point – as I happened to play last, according to the draw. We performed with the Prague Philharmonia in the Rudolfinum, in the stunningly beautiful Dvořák Hall, with its superb acoustics. It was rather extreme to perform Jolivet’s Serenade after just one rehearsal with the Japanese pianist Madoka Ito. The piece is extremely demanding from the ensemble point of view, but everything went well.
 
Saint Petersburg Music House (SPMH): This year saw a record number of applications in your category – 254. Is competition in the oboe world growing?
Fedor Osver: Yes, the number of oboists is growing year by year. Technology is advancing, and this has a significant impact on all wind instruments. New high-quality, user-friendly instruments are appearing, as well as high-tech machines for reed making, which greatly simplify life for oboists. I believe competition is also increasing because solo performances by oboists are becoming more and more popular, the repertoire is expanding, and audiences are beginning to perceive the oboe as a solo instrument.
 
SPMH: How would you assess the work of the musicians you performed with?
Fedor Osver: Throughout the entire competition, I performed with two wonderful pianists – Radana Foltýnová (Czech Republic) and Madoka Ito (Japan), as well as with the outstanding Zemlinsky String Quartet, and in the final round with the magnificent Prague Philharmonia conducted by Robert Kružík. Due to the large number of participants, there was only one rehearsal in each round, but thanks to the high level of professionalism of each musician, the performances were of high quality.
 
SPMH: What can you say about the international jury?
Fedor Osver: The jury was very diverse: the United States, Czech Republic, France, Estonia, and Germany were represented. The jury chair was the American oboist Nancy Ambrose King, and as a supporter of the American school, I was pleased to learn that. It was interesting that almost all the jury members were past laureates of the Prague Spring Competition. The jury was open to communication – after each round, they held sessions with comments from the members. After the final, each jury member shared their opinion, congratulations, and recommendations. That was both important and helpful. As part of the competition, there was also an interesting masterclass, where the same piece was analyzed by two different jury members – a kind of two-sided perspective. Unfortunately, I could not attend that event due to rehearsals.
 
SPMH: Taking part in a competition is a long journey. How did you get through it?
⁠Fedor Osver: he journey really was a long one. I first found out about the competition in August. Until the end of November, I was working on recordings for the preliminary round, and once I learned that I had passed the selection, I began serious preparation. This included long daily practice sessions, warm-up concerts to play through the repertoire, and a large number of reeds that I made myself. I tried to work through every detail so I would have no regrets later. I decided to learn the scales for every piece I was going to perform at the competition. For the final three months, I practiced long tones every day for 45 minutes to maintain and develop my embouchure, and I also practiced four scales daily: E major, A-flat major, F major, and D major. The nervousness began just before the competition. Even on the way to the airport, I was already feeling anxious, despite the fact that I had been preparing nonstop for six months. I experienced something similar before the Tchaikovsky Competition.
 
SPMH: How much did your concert experience as a soloist of the Music House influence the quality of your performance at the competition?
⁠Fedor Osver: The Saint Petersburg Music House played a key role in my successful performance at the competition in Prague. I was fortunate to perform parts of my program in magnificent halls — for example, part of the first and second rounds we played with the wonderful pianist Timofey Dolya on January 17 in the Rachmaninoff Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. It was also extremely helpful for me to perform the challenging Concerto by Martinů in the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace on March 19. Thanks to these concerts, I felt very comfortable during the competition performances — I knew the score and was simply enjoying the moment. I gained concert experience thanks to four wonderful years as a soloist of the Saint Petersburg Music House, which gave me the opportunity to perform concerts in the finest venues, with the best ensembles and musicians in Russia. So I would once again like to express my gratitude to the Saint Petersburg Music House, which greatly helped me deliver a worthy performance.
 
SPMH: In addition to the main prize, you also received several other awards, including the Audience Choice Award. Is the audience’s recognition just as meaningful to you?
Fedor Osver: That was a very pleasant experience. I think the fact that I performed last had an impact — I was relaxed, simply enjoying myself and savoring the moment. Besides, I was the only one who performed the concerto from memory, which may also have played a role. The audience’s appreciation is extremely important — after all, we perform for them. Listeners come to the concert hall, and it is for them that we walk out onto the stage and express what we have discovered in the score.
 
SPMH: What are your impressions of spring in Prague?
⁠Fedor Osver: This was my second time in Prague. I first visited the city a long time ago with my family. To be honest, I had planned to do some proper sightseeing only if I didn’t make it to the next round, but fortunately, I advanced to the final of the competition, so tourism wasn’t the top priority. Nevertheless, I still managed to walk around a bit, since all the venues were located in different parts of the city. I visited the main landmarks — Prague Castle, Vyšehrad, and Charles Bridge. I also went inside St. Vitus Cathedral. I’ve always been fascinated by Gothic cathedrals — they seem to soar upward, as if taking flight, and their scale is truly awe-inspiring. Sometimes, before a round, I would go to the gardens to relax, listen to the birdsong, and unwind. The atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming, and the people were open and friendly.
 
SPMH: Before the Prague Spring, you had already received the First Prize at the IV All-Russian Music Competition, and before that, the Second Prize at the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition. How do victories affect life after a competition?
⁠Fedor Osver: Preparing for a competition always means a great deal of practice and, accordingly, growth and getting into excellent shape — and that in itself is very gratifying. And if the performance is successful, it’s a good opportunity to remind people about yourself. But it also brings additional responsibility — you have to “maintain the standard.”
 
SPMH: One of your upcoming performances is part of the Evenings in the English Hall series at the Saint Petersburg Music House.
Fedor Osver: On June 4, together with the wonderful pianist Alexander Klyuchko, we will perform a very beautiful program. Three Fantasy Pieces by Schumann — colorful, lyrical, luminous, and vivid. Poulenc’s philosophical Sonata, which ends on a diminished triad and a triple piano dynamic. The question remains: what comes next? A mystery — the piece does not give a definitive answer. And finally, the bright, brilliant, sparkling Fantasy on Themes from Verdi’s “Rigoletto” by Giovanni Daelli.

Interview by Tatyana Mikhailova