Georgy Sviridov

From the very beginning of his career up until its near end, Georgy Vasilevich Svidirov was recognized as possessing rare and unique musical talents; for example, at the age of 19 he was invited into the Composers Union and at 54 he was made a People's Artist of the U.S.S.R. A student of exceptional composers, he was trained under M.A. Yudin at the Central Music Tekhnikum in Leningrad (early '30s) and with Shostakovich at the Leningrad Conservatory, where he graduated in 1941. His other teachers included Isay Braudo and Ryazanov. After finishing his formal studies, he began pe...