About Boris Asafyev
Lived 1884 – 1949 (aged 64). Boris Asafyev was a Russian composer, choreographer, musicologist, conductor, music theorist and music educator.
Boris Vladimirovich Asafyev (27 January 1949; also known by pseudonym Igor Glebov) was a Russian and Soviet composer, writer, musicologist, musical critic and one of founders of Soviet musicology. He is the dedicatee of Prokofiev's First Symphony. He was born in Saint Petersburg.
Asafyev had a strong influence on Soviet music. His compositions included ballets, operas, symphonies, concertos and chamber music. His ballets included Flames of Paris, based on the French Revolution, and The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, which was first performed in 1934, and was performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 2006.
His writings, under the name Igor Glebov, included The Symphonic etudes , The Book about Stravinsky and Glinka (for which he was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1948).
Selected works Plaque in Truda Square, Saint Petersburg, dedicated to Asafyev. Opera The Cashier's Wife Minin and Pozharsky The Girl without a Dowry
Ballets The Fairy Gift (1910) White Lily (1911) Flames of Paris (1931) The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (1936) The Prisoner of the Caucasus (1938) The Rustic Lady The Stone Guest (1946)
Orchestra 5 Symphonies Concerto for clarinet and orchestra (1939) Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra (1939) Concerto for piano and orchestra (1939)
Chamber music String Quartet (1940) Sonata for viola solo (1938) Sonata for cello and piano (1935) Sonata for trumpet and piano (1939) Sonatina for oboe and piano (1939) Variations for horn and piano (1940)
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Boris Asafyev's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Boris Asafyev?
Russian composer (1884-1949)
When was Boris Asafyev born?
Boris Asafyev was born on 29 July 1884 in Saint Petersburg.
When did Boris Asafyev die?
Boris Asafyev died on 27 January 1949 in Moscow.
What was Boris Asafyev's occupation?
Boris Asafyev was a composer, choreographer, musicologist, conductor, music theorist and music educator.
What nationality was Boris Asafyev?
Boris Asafyev was Russian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Boris Asafyev. https://biography.guide/boris-asafyev/
MLA: "Boris Asafyev." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/boris-asafyev/.
Chicago: "Boris Asafyev." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/boris-asafyev/.
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