Biography of

Salome Ramras Arkatov

Salome Ramras Arkatov was born Dec. 15, 1923 to Mary and Jacob Ramras in New York City, but moved with her family at an early age for health reasons to Phoenix, Arizona. She returned to New York to attend the Juilliard School, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Piano Performance.

Moving to California, Salome began pursuing her interest in the visual arts. She was awarded a full scholarship at Claremont Graduate School, where she studied philosophy with Dr. Henry P. Eames, painting with Millard Sheets, and sculpture with Albert Stewart. She received her Master of Arts degree in Aesthetics with a minor in Audio-Visual Education.

Settling in Los Angeles, Salome became a member of the piano faculty of the L.A. Conservatory, and subsequently was asked to join the newly-formed preparatory department of the USC School of Music. In 1976, Salome was invited to join UCLA's Music Department in the School of Fine Arts' new degree program in performance, where she taught until her retirement. While at the university, Salome initiated and developed an enrichment program for student piano teachers, and a program bringing students to perform at the Neuropsychiatric Institute and off-campus facilities.

In 1979, Salome began using the videotape facilities of UCLA as a teaching tool, and in that same year, received a grant for the growth of that program by Vice Chancellor Dr. Andrea Rich through the Office of Instructional Development. Because of her oustanding and humanistic teaching, Salome was invited to become a member of the Danforth Foundation, and elected to its executive board in 1986.

In 1980, Salome received a Mellon grant to create and develop with radio station KUSC a four-hour radio series in celebration of the centennial of the birth of her lifelong mentor, the legendary Russian-born pianist and teacher Rosina Lhevinne. The highly-acclaimed program was broadcast by NPR throughout the United States and Canada.

Upon her retirement from UCLA, Salome continued her docent work at LACMA, and turned her concentration to filmmaking, directing and producing two important documentaries: “The Legacy of Rosina Lhevinne" (2003), which won many 1st prizes in film festivals throughout the country and was broadcast on PBS; and “Memories of John Browning: The Lhevinne Legacy Continues" (2007), an intimate portrait of one of Lhevinne's most celebrated pupils.

Salome was married to Jim Arkatov, founder of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, from 1956 until his death in 2019. Her sister, Harriet Ramras Miller, passed away in 2022 at the age of 101. Salome's daughter, Janice Arkatov is married to Barry McGrath; they have a grown son, Daniel McGrath. Salome's son Alan Arkatov is married to Mary Leslie; they have two grown sons, Jacob Arkatov and Michael Arkatov.