Grigori Frid

Russian composer, writer and painter Grigory Samuilovich Frid was born in Petrograd (St Petersburg) on 22 September 1915 to a literary journalist father and pianist mother. He began his musical studies in Irkutsk, graduating in 1935 from Heinrich Litinski and Vissarion Schebalin's composition class at Moscov Conservatory.

He taught music theory in Moscow (1936-9) and composition at the Conservatory's music school (1947-61), and also worked as a composer for radio. During World War II he drove an ambulance and was in the music corps.

In 1965 Frid founded the Moscow Youth Music Club, ad continued to organise and lead it for the rest of his life.

His music combines serial and tonal composition techniques, and includes music in many different genres, including the chamber operas The Diary of Anne Frank and Van Gogh's Letters.

Awards include the Creative Artist of Merit in 1986 and the Moscow Prize (1996).

Grigory Frid died in Moscow on 22 September 2012, aged ninety-seven.

 

A selection of articles about Grigori Frid

Ensemble. Eternal optimism - Kelly Ferjutz reviews the Anne Frank double bill at Cleveland Opera