Sofia Goubaïdoulina’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1931👶 Birth
Born in Chistopol on 24 October to a Tatar father and a Russian mother
- 1948🌍 Meanwhile
The long-playing record (LP) goes on sale
- 1949📚 Trainingage 18
Studies piano and composition at the Kazan Conservatory
- 1959❤️ Private lifeage 28
Shostakovich encourages her to continue on her ‘mistaken’ path
- 1964🌍 Meanwhile
Robert Moog presents his synthesizer
- 1969🌍 Meanwhile
First steps on the Moon
- 1975🎩 Careerage 44
Founds an improvisation group on traditional instruments (Astreia)
- 1978🎼 Workage 47
De profundis, for bayan (Russian accordion)
- 1979🏛️ Landmarkage 48
Blacklisted by the Union of Soviet Composers
- 1980🎼 Workage 49
Offertorium, violin concerto for Gidon Kremer
- 1982🌍 Meanwhile
The compact disc (CD) is launched
- 2000🎼 Workage 69
St John Passion
- 2002🎩 Careerage 71
Receives the Polar Music Prize
- 2025🕯️ Deathage 94
Dies in Appen on 13 March, aged 93
Listen to the music
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Sofia Goubaïdoulina’s music is still recent: it belongs to its creators and their families. Ask a grown-up to play it for you on the radio or at a concert!
Once upon a time…
Sofia Gubaidulina was born in Russia, in Tatarstan. Her dad was Tatar and her mum Russian. As a little girl she felt that music had something magical and sacred about it.
When she finished her studies, the great composer Shostakovich told her: “Keep going on your own path, even if people say it’s wrong!” She followed this advice all her life.
She loved surprising instruments, like the bayan, a Russian accordion, and instruments from Asia. She sometimes built her works with sequences of numbers, like a secret code.
Later she settled in Germany, where she lived with her cats and composed until she was over ninety.
Sofia Goubaïdoulina’s instruments
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