Evgenii Brusilovskii

Born Oct. 30 (Nov. 12), 1905, in Rostov-on-Don. Soviet composer. People’s Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1936). One of the originators of Kazakh professional arts.

From 1922 to 1924, Brusilovskii studied piano and composition at the Moscow Conservatory, and in 1931 he graduated from M. O. Shteinberg’s class in composition at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1933 he was commissioned to Alma-Ata by the Leningrad Union of Composers. He was music director of the Kazakh Music Theater from 1934 to 1938, an instructor beginning in 1944, art director of the Philharmonic from 1949 to 1951, and professor at the Alma-Ata Conservatory from 1955, heading the subdepartment of composition. His pupils have included B. Baikadamov, M. Tulebaev, B. G. Erzakovich, K. Kuzham’iarov, E. Rakhmadiev, and S. Mukhamedzhanov. He was chairman of the Organization Committee from 1939 to 1948 and chairman of the board of the Union of Composers of the Kazakh SSR from 1948 to 1953.

Brusilovskii wrote down more than 250 Kazakh folk songs and kiuis (Kazakh instrumental folk songs) and created the first nine Kazakh operas (Kyz-Zhibek, 1934; Zhalbyr, 1935; Er-Targyn, 1936; and others; all performed at the Kazakh Theater of Opera and Ballet) and seven symphonies. He wrote many chorales and cantata oratorios; chamber, vocal, and instrumental pieces; and film music. The national anthem of the Kazakh SSR was written by Brusilovskii, in collaboration with M. Tulebaev and L. Khamidi (words by A. Mukhametkhanov, G. Musrepov, and A. Tazhibaev; 1945). He received the State Prize of the USSR in 1948 and the Kurmangaza State Prize of the Kazakh SSR in 1967. He has been awarded the Order of Lenin, three other orders, and medals.