Boris Belenky was a Soviet violinist and music teacher. Born Boris Vulfovich Belenky in Bobruisk on November 17 (30), 1911, he began studying the violin at age ten, following the example of his older brother.
In 1924, he joined the orchestra of the Bobruisk City Council Theatre. Sent to study in Moscow in 1927, he entered Lev Zeitlin’s class at the Moscow Conservatory and graduated in 1934. From 1930 to 1931 he played in the Theatre of Working Youth orchestra, and until 1932 in the Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. He later worked with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR and, from 1938 to 1960, as a soloist in the Moscow Art Theatre orchestra.
Belenky returned to Zeitlin’s class for postgraduate study in 1937. That year, or possibly the year before, he became first violinist of the Taneev Quartet, remaining with the ensemble until 1946. He began teaching in 1937 and taught at the Moscow Conservatory, with interruptions, until his death. He also assisted in the classes of Lev Zeitlin, Abram Yampolsky, and Konstantin Mostras. From 1944 to 1963 he taught at the music school attached to the conservatory, and from 1948 at the Central Music School. He received the title of professor in 1979.
His students included Elena Adzhemova, Alexei Bruni, Andrei Korsakov, Boris Kushnir, Alexei Mikhlin, Igor Popkov, Yaroslava Rivnyak, Joseph Risin, Grigory Unanyan, Lev Chistyakov, M. Nikola of France, N. Sukkari of Syria, and Ta Bon of Vietnam. Belenky also worked on teaching methods for the Moscow City Executive Committee’s culture department, served on the Council of Pedagogical Readings at the Central House of Arts Workers, and sat on juries for international violin competitions in Europe and North America.
He received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and the Medal for Labor Distinction, and was named an Honored Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1978. His wife was violinist and composer Natalia Baklanova. Belenky continued teaching at the Moscow Conservatory until his death in Moscow on February 16, 1987.