Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky was a Russian composer, born in 1904, who lived to see the most significant events of 20th century Russia. Before his death in 1987, he experienced the evolution of Russia from the rule of Tsar Nicholas II, to the political changes promoted by M.S. Gorbachev. Kabalevsky’s music career was impressive, not only because he was a talented composer and musician, but because he was involved in the administrative and political processes of the music world.
Kabalevsky’s life and career were based in Moscow, where he began piano studies at the Scriabin Musical Institute. He then began studying piano with Gol’denveyzer and composition with Katuar and Myaskovsky at the Moscow Conservatoire. After he graduated from Myaskovsky’s…show more content… He condemned the Central Committee’s Decree on Music of 1948, which banned several musical pieces and themes, and was involved in the repealing of this Decree in 1956. In the 1950s, Kabalevsky’s life focused on his political and administrative accomplishments, rather than on his musical career. He was also concerned with educational improvement and reform for Russia and the Soviet Union. For Kabalevsky, the 1960s were spent helping revise the music syllabus for schools in the Russian Federation. He was honored by the State for his compositions and contributions to education and held the position of Honorary President of the International Society of Music Education until his death in 1987. In February 1987, Kabalevsky attended an international forum, titled “For a Non-Nuclear World, For the Survival of Humanity”, surrounded by world leaders of science and art. This meeting encompassed most of the issues that he had been fighting for, and during this stressful time, he suffered a heart attack and died. Symbolizing his importance, his funeral was held in the Main Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire, and his grave marked with a marble and bronze memorial erected by family and music instructors of
