Kabalevsky, Dmitri, << KAH buh LEHF skee, dih MEE tree >> (1904-1987), was a Russian composer and music educator known for creating music for young people. Kabalevsky wrote orchestral and vocal works as well as operas and scores for motion pictures. However, he is probably best known for his music for children. He wrote many concertos intended to be played by young musicians. He also composed several pieces for children’s choruses, to be performed either as separate pieces or as part of a larger work.
Kabalevsky first gained attention with a piano concerto (1928). He established himself as a leading Russian composer in the 1930’s with his three symphonies (1932-1934). He also won praise for his 24 piano preludes (1943-1944) based on Russian folk songs. During World War II, Kabalevsky wrote a number of patriotic works, including the cantata The Mighty Homeland (1941-1942) and the opera Into the Fire (1943). His many works for young people include the songs “The Band of Four Friends” and “School Days,” the children’s chorus in his Requiem (1962), and the cantata for children’s chorus and orchestra, Of the Homeland (1965).
Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky was born in St. Petersburg on Dec. 30, 1904. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1925 to 1930. Kabalevsky was appointed an instructor in composition at the conservatory in 1932 and became a professor in 1939. He also served as a music critic and edited a music magazine. Kabalevsky held many administrative positions with the Union of Soviet Composers, whose Moscow branch he helped organize in 1932. During the last 20 years of his life, Kabalevsky concentrated on developing a curriculum for teaching music in schools. He died on Feb. 14, 1987.
