Union of Soviet Composers

The first Constituent Congress took place in Moscow, in April, 1960. Unanimously, Dmitry Shostakovich was elected as the first secretary of Board.

Having headed the Union of composers, Dmitry Shostakovich, concentrated attention on strengthening contacts with the local composer organizations. Thanks to Shostakovich's efforts, the role of the new Union increased every day and, soon, it became the organizing center of modern musical art in Russia. Public work did not impinge on the creativity of the great composer; at this time he has created grandiose symphonic works, operas and ballets, oratorios and cantatas, chamber works, songs, and music for theater and cinema. Due to poor health however, Shostakovich was forced in 1968 to leave the post at the Second Congress. In memory of him, the Union of composers of Russia founded in 1981, an award in his honor.

At the Second Congress, in 1968, Georgy Sviridov was elected by the Chairman of the board.

Stanislav Stempnevsky was appointed as the executive Secretary.

The third Congress of the Union of composers of Russia took place in 1973, in the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions. At congress the new management of the Union of composers of Russia was chosen - Rodion Shchedrin . Andrey Eshpay was elected as the first Secretary. Vladislav Kazenin became the executive Secretary, and then the Vice-Chairman of the Union of composers. Jan Frenkel became the second Vice-Chairman.

The Secretariat had included composers of various regions of the country: F. Vasilyev (Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), R. Gazizov (Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), V. Krasnoskulov (Rostov-on-Don), V. Kupriyanov (Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), A. Novikov (Novosibirsk), A. Puzey (Sverdlovsk), M. Simanovsky (Saratov), M. Tariverdiev, V. Agafonnikov, musicologist Y. Korev (Moscow), B. Tishchenko, V. Uspensky (Leningrad), M. Yarullin (Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic).

Rodion Shchedrin and the Secretariat of the Union of composers of Russia conducted work on preservation of the organizational and creative traditions of Dmitry Shostakovich, shown in promotion of works of modern composers at musical forums of Russia.

Many of the largest festivals in Omsk, the Tyumen region, Vilnius, Suzdal, Vladimir, Gorkiy, the cities of the North Caucasus has been carried out at that time. The festivals which have arisen during this period became traditional: " Panorama of music of Siberia" (Novosibirsk), "The Don spring", "A festival in Kuban", music holidays in Saratov, Ufa, Sverdlovsk, Gorkiy. There were new festivals, music holidays in Astrakhan, Krasnoyarsk, "Europe — Asia" — in Kazan, "The Tuva musical summer" — in Kyzyl and other cities of Tuva.

Traditions of their own have festivals of two last decades - " Panorama of music of Russia", "Composers of Russia — to children", "Music of friends" — a festival at which works of foreign composers are executed. "Panorama of music of Russia" is one of the largest and most authoritative festivals of modern music in our country. This festival arose in 1973, at the initiative of Rodion Shchedrin, and since 1995, is annually held in various regions of the country. Festival programs represent a set of composer names of modern Russia, give the chance to make a complete idea of wealth and national variety of musical creativity of modern Russia.

The form and geography of festivals of the Union of composers is extraordinary wide. Festivals are held not just in one city, but in several at once. In 2008, for example, children's festivals took place in Smolensk, Tver, Kirov and Saratov, and the "Panorama of Music of Russia" festival — in Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Lipetsk and Voronezh. The subjects of these festivals, musical meetings, and musicological conferences were diverse: "Composer-performer-listener", "The Soviet composers — to toilers of the village", "A folklore role in modern creativity", "An image of the contemporary in works of composers of Russia" and many others.

From 1990 to 2014 the post of the President of the Union of composers of Russia was held by Vladislav Kazenin.

For nearly a quarter of the century, heading the Union in difficult years of collapse of the USSR and reorganization, Vladislav Kazenin managed to keep stability of the organization and to provide its sustainable development.

Vladislav Kazenin is the famous Russian composer, the author of operettas, musicals, ballets, compositions for chorus, a symphonic orchestra, a piano, tool concerts, songs and romances, music for movies, animated films and theatrical performances.

Thanks to big organizational work of the Secretariat of the Union of composers and the personal authority of Vladimir Kazenin, new creative offices have been created which became centres of music in the cities and the republics of Russia have been created. They have created strong links with the musical public, the concert organizations, and educational institutions. Artist collectives of composers have appeared in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Tyva, Mordovia, Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk, Perm, the Republic of Adygea, Smolensk, Kaliningrad, Kirov, Komi Republic, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Bryansk, Penza, Belgorod, Chita (The transbaikal organization), Kaluga, Abakan (Republic of Khakassia), Moscow region. The beginning of activity of all new composer organizations was always followed by holding festivals, concerts and creative meetings.

At the Eleventh Congress, in December, 2015, Rashid Kalimullin was elected by the President of the Union of composers of Russia.

Rashid Kalimullin was a leading Russian composer, as well as a talented manager and organizer. Since 1989 he headed the Union of composers of the Republic of Tatarstan, from 1995 to 2010 – the secretary and since 2010 – the Vice-Chairman of the Union of composers of Russia. Rashid Kalimullin is the author and the head of many large Russian and International projects, among them the international festival "Days of the Japanese and Tatar Music", the international festival of new music "Europe-Asia", the international project of symphony concerts "Pearls of the Russian and Tatar music", Russian musical festival "Names of Russia". He is also a founder of the" Center of modern music of Sofia Gubaidulina". The author of a large number of compositions in different genres: an opera, a symphony, a tool concert, music for an orchestra, chamber and vocal music.

Since 1986, the Union of composers of Russia, regularly holds the "Composers of Russia — to Children" festival. Every time a festival goes over with great success, in various cities of Russia and has a big resonance among youth. Within a festival a various number of creative meetings, concerts of children's music of the Russian composers take place. An addressee of these actions are students of general education institutions and musical schools.

The experience of the international work of the Union of composers is represented by the international festival "Music of Friends"

In 2015 the International festival competition of patriotic songs "Red Carnation", originating since 1967 has been revived.

Festivals of the Union of composers are held for promotion of works of professional modern composers of Russia, promoting development of creative cooperation and uniting with composer creativity of talented youth. One of main goals of actions of the Union of composers of Russia is the wide exposition of the best works of musical art and the presentation of genre variety of music.

Systematic work is carried out towards the organization of composer competitions: "The International competition in composition of Sergey Prokofiev", in St. Petersburg, Chairman of which is Rodion Shchedrin, "The competition of Andrey Petrov "CRYSTAL KAMERTON", Chairman A. Petrov, then – V. Kazenin,

"The international competition of young composers of P. Yurgenson", the Chairman V. Tarnopolsky, the Governor's international junior competition of

V. Gavrilin in Vologda, a children's competition in composition in Nizhny Novgorod and many others.

The Union of composers of Russia pays huge attention to education of creative youth. Since 2009, at the organization there is a Youth office of composers (MolOt) which is headed by Yaroslav Sudzilovsky. There regularly take place concerts of young composers, audition of new compositions, discussions about problems of composer creativity. Now, in various regions of our country, 26 representative offices of the MolOt tunction: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Ufa, Petrozavodsk, Kaliningrad, Saratov, Yakutia, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Belarus, France, Armenia, other cities and countries. Annually, since 2012,

"The international MolOt-Transfest" festival – a large-scale marathon of modern music where music of young authors from the different republics of the former USSR presented is held.

Union of composers of Russia is a creative association of composers and musicologists of different generations. Association which, despite the changed contours and the principles of the organization of the Russian musical life, is engaged in the major mission – moral and ethical education of the modern person.