Russian pianist Petrov dies

Russian renowned pianist Nikolai Petrov, who suffered a stroke in May during his Belarusian concert, died on Wednesday at the age of 68, the musician's assistant said. The musician played with the best world orchestras, including the New York, Washington and Los Angeles Symphony Orchestras, and gave from 70 to 100 concerts each year. Petrov was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and the winner of numerous music awards, such as the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels. Shortly prior to his death, Petrov said in one of his interviews: "I'm happy. I managed to make my life in a way I wanted it to be made."