Famous Russian Musicians
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Inspired by history and folklore, Russian music is one of the most powerful and beautiful melody-type that is drenched in culture, heritage and traditions. Its astonishingly rich and creative orchestral sound separates it from the rest of Europe. While classical Russian music is deep-embedded and sophisticated, the advancement in society has seen music types such as pop, jazz, rock, metal, punk, rap and techno acquire an enormous place in Russian music. However, the greatness of Russian music hadn’t been half that it is today without Russian musicians, who through their creative outpouring and inventive orchestration, helped Russian music become a paradigm of prominence in the world music forum. And while talking about Russian musicians, one cannot really exempt from mentioning five influential Russian musical nationalists, popularly known as The Five or The Mighty Handful who dominated the Romantic period of music. These include Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Some of the most popular 20th and 21st century Russian musicians include Lera Auerbach, Yury G Chernavsky, Leonid Desyatnikov, Aleksandr Lokshin and Alla Pavlova. Browse through this section to get details of the life and works of famous Russian musicians and composers. Get drenched in their symphonies and master works.
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1
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky(Russian Romantic Composer Best Known for His Ballet Compositions ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘The Nutcracker’)
Birthdate: May 7, 1840
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Votkinsk, Russia
Died: November 6, 1893
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the first Russian composer to place Russian music on the international stage. Often described as a musician who transcended the stereotypes of classical Russian music, Tchaikovsky is credited with making the Western world take note of Russian music. Although he was criticized by the critics, his popularity among the public never faded.
Birthdate: April 1, 1873
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Starorussky Uyezd
Died: March 28, 1943
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist of the late Romantic period. Credited with exploring the expressive possibilities of the piano, Rachmaninoff's music continues to be featured in films. His four-year struggle with depression, which was followed by the critical failure of his Symphony No. 1, was depicted in the 2015 musical Preludes.
Birthdate: June 17, 1882
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lomonosov, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: April 6, 1971
Four-time Grammy-winning Russian composer and pianist Igor Stravinsky is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. He is remembered for his ballets The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring. He broke the traditional flow of music and incorporated his own style.
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Zedd(DJ & Record Producer Best Known for His Song 'Clarity')
Birthdate: September 2, 1989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saratov, Russia
Zedd is a Russian-German songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He is best known for his 2012 single, Clarity, which earned him a Grammy Award in 2014 after peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although he mainly performs and produces electro house music, Zedd also draws inspiration from dubstep, progressive house, and classical music.
Birthdate: September 25, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: August 9, 1975
Dmitry Shostakovich was a Soviet and Russian pianist and composer. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's major composers, Shostakovich's music is characterized by ambivalent tonality, elements of the grotesque, and sharp contrasts. He composed 15 symphonies during his lifetime and most of his work came under Joseph Stalin.
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Vitas(Ukrainian-Russian Singer, Songwriter and Actor Known for His Unique Falsetto and His Eclectic Musical Style)
Birthdate: February 19, 1979
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia
Vitas is a Ukrainian-Russian actor, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for his eclectic musical style and unique falsetto, Vitas has performed with well-known labels like Universal Music Group. He often incorporates elements of folk, classical, jazz, techno, dance, and operatic pop into his music.
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Irving Berlin(Street artist, Composer, Pianist, Songwriter, Screenwriter, Film score composer)
Birthdate: May 11, 1888
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tyumen
Died: September 22, 1989
Irving Berlin was a composer and lyricist. He made tremendous contributions to the Great American Songbook and is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. He had an extensive career spanning six decades, during which he composed an estimated 1,500 songs. He received the Lawrence Langner Tony Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Birthdate: February 18, 1980
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
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Aleksandr Scriabin(One of the Most Controversial Composer-Pianists of the Early 20th Century)
Birthdate: December 25, 1871
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: April 14, 1915
Russian composer and pianist Aleksandr Scriabin is considered one of the most innovative and controversial of early modern composers. Interested in music from an early age, he built pianos as a young man and didn’t take long to establish himself as a brilliant composer. Unfortunately, he died at the height of his career, at the age of just 43.
Birthdate: October 4, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Birthdate: February 23, 1970
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saransk, Russia
Russian singer and pianist Oksana Grigorieva patented a method of teaching music to children in the U.S. She is best known for her track Un día llegará. She has been in the news for her bitter break-up with former partner Mel Gibson. She has worked with the Chernobyl Children's Project.
Birthdate: March 18, 1844
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tikhvin, Russia
Died: June 21, 1908
While he grew up listening to Russian folk songs and church music, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov later joined the navy with his brother. One of the legendary Russian composers known as The Mighty Handful, he is remembered for his pieces such as Flight of the Bumblebee from the opera Tsar Saltan.
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Viktor Tsoi(Soviet Singer-Songwriter and Co-Founder of the Rock Band 'Kino')
Birthdate: June 21, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: August 15, 1990
Viktor Tsoi, the lead singer of the legendary Russian rock band Kino, broke the hearts of his fans across the world when he died in a tragic car crash at age 28. A symbol of rebellion, Tsoi transformed rock music from an underground movement to a mainstream phenomenon in Russia.
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Jascha Heifetz(Former Violinist remembered for his performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall)
Birthdate: February 2, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vilnius, Lithuania
Died: December 10, 1987
15
Modest Mussorgsky(Russian Composer Who was an Innovator of Russian Music in the Romantic Period)
Birthdate: March 21, 1839
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Karevo, Russia
Died: March 28, 1881
Modest Mussorgsky was a Russian composer best remembered for being part of a renowned 19th-century Russian composers group known as The Five. An innovator of Russian music, Mussorgsky worked towards achieving a Russian musical identity that challenged the already established Western music, which was generally considered conventional at that time.
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Sviatoslav Richter(Who is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time)
Birthdate: March 20, 1915
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Died: August 1, 1997
Birthdate: October 10, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Moscow
Evgeny Kissin is a Russian-born composer and concert pianist. He is renowned for his renditions of the works of great musicians like Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Over the course of his illustrious career, Evgeny Kissin has won many prestigious musical awards, such as the Grammy Awards, Triumph Award, and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Award.
Birthdate: March 5, 1991
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Birthdate: July 6, 1937
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Birthdate: May 2, 1953
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Birthdate: October 12, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Irkutsk, Russia
Nina Kraviz is a Russian DJ, singer, and music producer. She studied dentistry and even practiced for some time while performing gigs as a side hustle. She then proceeded to study at the Red Bull Music Academy. She released her self-titled debut album in 2012 and then went on to launch her own record label.
Birthdate: November 12, 1833
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg
Died: February 27, 1887
Aleksandr Borodin was a Russian musical composer. He was one of the popular 19th-century group of musicians known as The Five, who worked together to create a national style of classical music. A chemist and doctor by profession, Borodin also made important contributions to organic chemistry. His best known work as a chemist is his work pertaining to organic synthesis.
Birthdate: November 7, 1989
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Norilsk
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Vladimir Vysotsky(Best Known for His Unique Singing Style and Lyrics and an Influential Figure in Soviet Culture)
Birthdate: January 25, 1938
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: July 25, 1980
A Soviet cultural icon, singer Vladimir Vysotsky was known for his social commentary in his songs. In his early years, he quit engineering to study acting. He later ruled the stage as an actor, before stepping into music. He even distributed his recordings after being banned in the country.
Birthdate: April 15, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Birthdate: March 27, 1927
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Baku, Azerbaijan
Died: April 27, 2007
Birthdate: April 18, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg
Birthdate: March 27, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
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Timati(Rapper, Singer, Record producer, Composer)
Birthdate: August 15, 1983
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow
Born into an affluent Russian family, Timati initially studied economics but later drifted toward music. The hip-hop artist gained fame with the reality show Star Factory 4 and later released hits such as Welcome to St. Tropez. However, his song Moscow, deriding anti-government protestors, became the most-disliked Russian YouTube video.
Birthdate: December 24, 1981
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ust-Dzheguta, Russia
Birthdate: April 14, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Arkhangelsk, Russia
Birthdate: November 27, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Zhukovskiy, Russia
33
Mikhail Glinka(Russian Composer Who is Regarded as the Fountainhead of Russian Classical Music)
Birthdate: June 1, 1804
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast, Russia
Died: February 15, 1857
Mikhail Glinka was a Russian composer who is considered the fountainhead of classical music in Russia. Glinka was the first Russian musician to achieve widespread acclaim within his own country. His compositions went on to influence subsequent generations of Russian composers, such as the members of The Five.
Birthdate: November 24, 1934
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Engels, Russia
Died: August 3, 1998
Born to German parents in Russia, composer Alfred Schnittke is remembered for his signature style of music, known as polystylism, which was characterized by its dark themes. A versatile musician, who also composed film scores, he was once banned from leaving the country by the Soviet authorities.
Birthdate: November 28, 1829
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ofatinti, Moldova
Died: November 20, 1894
Birthdate: June 4, 1903
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: January 19, 1988
Birthdate: April 1, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow
Sergey Lazarev is a Russian singer, actor, and dancer. He is best known for his contribution to the success of the pop duo, Smash. Lazarev has represented Russia twice in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing third on both occasions. As an actor, Sergey Lazarev is involved in the Russian theatre scene.
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Alexey Vorobyov(Russian Actor and Singer Best Known For His Appearance on the Music Competition Show 'The X Factor')
Birthdate: January 19, 1988
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tula, Russia
Alexey Vorobyov is a Russian actor and singer best known for his performances in the English and Russian languages. Alexey Vorobyov is also known for his appearance on the Russian version of the popular music competition show, The X Factor.
Birthdate: September 9, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nevel, Russia
Died: November 19, 1970
Birthdate: August 10, 1865
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: March 21, 1936
41
Kristian Kostov(Bulgarian-Russian Pop Singer Who Rose to Fame With 'The Voice Kids Russia')
Birthdate: March 15, 2000
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Bulgarian-Russian singer Kristian Kostov was 6 when he began training in music and was already performing solo by 11. He soared to fame with the Russian version of The Voice Kids and then became the runner-up on X Factor Bulgaria. At 18, he was the youngest contestant on the Chinese reality show Singer.
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Mily Balakirev(Composer, pianist, and conductor known today primarily for his work promoting musical nationalism)
Birthdate: December 31, 1836
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Died: May 29, 1910
Birthdate: August 26, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ufa, Russia
Russian rock-musician Zemfira has made her mark as a singer in Russia and other former Soviet republics with studio-albums like Zemfira and Forgive Me My Love, and hit singles like You Want? Forgive Me My Love became the best-selling album of Zemfira with over 1,500,000 copies sold, while overall till date Zemfira has sold over 3 million records.
Birthdate: August 20, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Novosibirsk, Russia
Birthdate: September 6, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kumertau, Russia
Birthdate: September 3, 1984
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tiraspol, Moldova
Birthdate: April 12, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Birthdate: July 16, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sochi, Russia
Birthdate: August 15, 1990
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Birthdate: November 3, 1949
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kopeysk, Russia