ASAFIEV Boris (A-53)

Russian Soviet composer, musicologist, music critic. Graduated from the faculty of history and Philology of St. Petersburg University (1908) and the St. Petersburg Conservatoire (1910, Lyadov's class of composition). From 1910 he worked as a concertmaster of ballet at the Mariinsky theatre, from 1914 – constantly appeared in print as a music critic (pseudonym – Igor Glebov). In 1919-1930 he worked in the music Department of the Institute of art history (Leningrad), from 1925 – Professor of the Leningrad Conservatory. He participated in the organization of the Leningrad Philharmonic. In 1943 he moved to Moscow, headed the research office at the Moscow Conservatory and the music sector of the Institute of art history of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. At the 1st all-Union Congress of Soviet composers (1948) he was elected Chairman of the Union of composers of the USSR. Author of scientific works about Russian classical music (Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, etc.), as well as  contemporary musicians (Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Shebalin, the most prominent foreign composers of the twentieth century). A talented popularizer of musical creativity. As a composer - the author of 28 ballets ("Flame of Paris "(1932)," fountain of Bakhchisarai " (1934), etc.), 11 operas, music for dramatic performances, 4 symphonies, a large number of romances and chamber instrumental works.