Vladimir Padwa

classical piano teacher

Barry names only ‘Padwa’, a classical piano teacher at NYU he studied with, probably in the 1970s, on the advice of a pianist who came to his class; we take him to be Vladimir Padwa, a pianist and composer who taught there.

mentions: 0
recordings: 0
Barry speaking: 0

What Barry says

Asked whether he kept up his classical study, Barry says that once he moved to New York he started taking lessons, at NYU. Jazz musicians, he explains, work too seldom to find out how good they could be, so lessons give you something to keep you occupied.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶235

The teacher he names is Padwa, which he spells out, not quite sure, as P-A-D-W-A. Charles Jordan, a pianist who came to Barry’s class, put him on to Padwa.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶237Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶239

Asked when the lessons began, Barry hesitates, then settles on the 1970s as the likely decade.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶251Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶253

Barry went looking for a new teacher because, he thinks, Padwa had died. That search led, through his student Joshua, to the teacher who, by Barry’s own dates, is the one he names later as Prostikov.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶239Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶247Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶255

In his own words

a piano player comes to my class named Charles Jordan turned me on to Padwa. So I started taking with Padwa

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program. On how he found his first New York piano teacher ¶239

So I started taking lessons in New York. I started taking lessons right at NYU.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program. On resuming classical lessons after moving to New York ¶235

You know what, Padwa might have been in the ‘70s. Probably was in the ‘70s.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program. Asked when he studied with Padwa ¶253

I decided I’m gonna start looking for another piano teacher, ‘cause Padwa had passed away I think.

Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program. On why he moved on to another teacher ¶239

Every mention

0 moments in the recordings, 0 of them Barry speaking. Each says who is talking.

In the interviews and notes

Barry, Smithsonian oral history 2010 Barry, in his own words
After moving to New York Barry began taking lessons again, at NYU, reasoning that jazz musicians get too little work to learn how good they could become, so lessons keep them busy.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶235
Barry, Smithsonian oral history 2010 Barry, in his own words
Asked who taught him, Barry names Padwa, spells the name with some doubt, and credits Charles Jordan, a pianist from his class, with the recommendation. He believes Padwa had died by the time he looked for another teacher.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶237Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶239
Barry, Smithsonian oral history 2010 Barry, in his own words
Barry places his lessons with Padwa probably in the 1970s.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶251Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶253