Konstantin Massalitinov

Massalitinov, Konstantin Iraklievich

 

Born May 21 (June 3), 1905, in Voronezh. Soviet composer and choral conductor. People’s Artist of the USSR (1975). Member of the CPSU since 1943.

Massalitinov graduated from the Voronezh Music Technicum in 1929. He helped organize the Voronezh Russian Folk Choir in 1942 and was the artistic director of the choir until 1964. Massalitinov is a collector and popularizer of Russian folk songs; he has transcribed more than 500 songs. His works include the song-opera The Land Sings (1961), the oratorio My Land (1970), the cantata My Russia, the choral suites Native Land, Bitter Sorrow, and By Lenin’s Bequeathal, and numerous songs.

Massalitinov received the State Prize of the USSR in 1949 and the A. V. Aleksandrov Prize in 1977. Massalitinov has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and various medals.