Background
A native of Saint St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), Petrov was the son of a military doctor. His mother was an artist.
A native of Saint St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), Petrov was the son of a military doctor. His mother was an artist.
He studied composition at the Leningrad Conservatory under Orest Yevlakhov.
Andrey Petrov is known for his music for numerous classic Soviet films such as I Step Through Moscow, Beware of the Carolina, and Office Romance. He had little interest in music until, at fourteen, he saw The Great Waltz. After this he decided to become a composer.
Petrov is known for his work in various genres.
He wrote a number of operas and ballets, as well as symphonic works, incidental and film music, and various songs. He is especially famous for his ballet Creation of the World, based on drawings by Jean Effel.
This was performed around the world, with Mikhail Baryshnikov among its first performers. Petrov also scored over eighty films, including the Soviet-American co-production The Blue Bird.
From 1964 until his death Petrov was the head of the Saint St. Petersburg Composers" Union, to which he was introduced by Dmitri Shostakovich.
He also founded and served as the general director of a music festival in Saint St. Petersburg. Andrey Petrov died in Saint St. Petersburg. He is buried at the Volkovskoye Cemetery in the city.
Order of Merit for the Fatherland; 3rd class (2 September 2005) - for outstanding contribution to the development of national musical culture, and many years of creative activity 4th class (29 August 2000) - for his great personal contribution to the development of national musical art Order of Lenin (1985) State Prize of the Russian Federation (1995) Award of the President of the Russian Federation (1999) Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics State Prize (1967 and 1976) People"s Artist of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (1980) People"s Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1976) Honoured Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1972) Honorary citizen of Saint St. Petersburg (Resolution of the Legislative Assembly of Street St. Petersburg № 104 of 22 May 1998).
Union of Soviet Composers.
