page_title: Vladimir Sokoloff (pianist)
section_title: Efrem Zimbalist
hierarchical_section_title: Vladimir Sokoloff (pianist) / Efrem Zimbalist
caption_attribution_description: English: Joseph de Pasquale and Vladimir Sokoloff, after premiering the George Rochberg Sonata at the 1979 Viola Congress in Provo, Utah. Photo by Dwight Pounds. Please credit Author upon use.
context_page_description: Vladimir Sokoloff was an American pianist and accompanist on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. In addition to his teaching work with the accompanying, piano and chamber music students, he was an active performer.
context_section_description: Zimbalist used to tour the world with the accompanist Theodore Saidenberg. When Saidenberg resigned to pursue a solo career, his place "was taken by his cousin, Vladimir Sokoloff, who had been acting as Zimbalist's class accompanist. On early U.S. tours Zimbalist had performed with Sokoloff's uncle Nikolai, founder and first conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. Vladimir (or "Billy", as Zimbalist called him) remained with him for the rest of his concert career – some thirty years – excepting the period Sokoloff spent in Special Services during World War II. Sokoloff remembered how things started: 'It was so casual. I was just playing my regular schedule in the studio when he said, "Would you like to be my accompanist?" I was flabbergasted - never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be asked to fill so important a post. I was a young kid and had had no experience except playing in school and a few outside concerts that had been arranged for me. The end of August I went up to The Rafters, and we rehearsed solidly for two weeks.' 
  Roy Malan said: "Shortly after starting to work with Zimbalist they performed ... Saint-Saëns's "Le cygne". Zimbalist liked to hold the final G of the solo part to the very end, in one bow, while the piano brings the piece to a close .... After Sokoloff's initial performance Zimbalist, in his gentle way, admonished him for playing the concluding arpeggio too quickly ... His pianist confessed to a fear of stretching the bow beyond its limit. 'Billy', Zimbalist smiled, 'I'll bet you $5 you can't play the ending slowly enough to make me run out of bow.' The next evening violinist and pianist exchanged glances before 'Le cygne'. when Zimbalist embarked on his last note Sokoloff jammed on the brakes, seeming to grind almost to a torturous halt on each note he played. Very pleased with himself, after what seemed an eternity he finally reached the cadence. Looking up, to his astonishement he saw Zimbalist, a scarcely concealed smirk on his face, comfortably sustaining at mid-bow. Sokoloff was $5 poorer."
caption: Joseph de Pasquale and Vladimir Sokoloff, after premiering the George Rochberg Sonata at the 1979 Viola Congress in Provo, Utah
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