Tariverdiev Mikael

Tariverdiev Mikael (1931-1996), Russian    composer of Armenian origin, holder of the title of the People’s Artist of  Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1996). Born in Tbilisi, he studied at Tbilisi school No. 43, where he wrote his first musical composition – the anthem of the school, which is still performed at the congregation of the alumni of Tbilisi school No.43. After finishing the school, he attended the piano classes at a so called ‘high school for talented students’, then he studied musical composition at Tbilisi musical school No. 1 (class of composer M. Mshvelidze), which he graduated in one year. During that period he wrote two one-act ballets that were staged at the Tbilisi Theater of Opera and Ballet. The students of Choreographic collage performed the parts in the young composer’s ballets. It was his professional success.

After that M. Tariverdiev entered the Erevan Conservatoire, which he left after a year and a half to continue his studies at the Moscow musical-pedagogical institute named after the Gnesins [class of A. Khachaturian] (1953 – 57).

In 1958 M. Tariverdiev’s first movie music sounded in the film Our Fathers’ Youth. It proved to be a successful debut. He is the author of the music for 132 movies. The music for the following films made him widely popular: 17 Moments of Spring, Twist of Fate or Refreshing Bath (for the music of these movies he was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1977), King-Deer, etc. His works are many-sided; he is the author of 4 operas, 4 ballets, instrumental concertos, organ music, etc. M. Tariverdiev is the laureate of 18 international prizes.

Despite the fact that M. Tariverdiev had spent all his creative life in Moscow, he was body and soul a ‘Tbilisi Man’ and even his Moscow apartment was furnished a la Tbilisi style. His book of autobiography I Am Simply Living is permeated with the love for Tbilisi and warm memories of childhood years he had spent in that city.

M. Tariverdiev died in Sochi. He is buried at the Armenian Cemetery in Moscow.