Dmitry Smirnov was born in 1952 in Leningrad. He entered the Conservatory to study two majors: (1) in a choir conducting class of professor A.V. Mikhailov and (2) in a opera-and-symphony conducting class of famous conductor and professor E.P. Grikurov. There was an interruption in his studies during his time on service in the Red Army; after that he continued his education under the guidance of one professor helping him with his post-graduate assistant studies. Meanwhile his own teaching activities began - first, at the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Musical College, later - at the Conservatory. At the Conservatory, Dmitry Smirnov works till the present day.

Having finished his assistant stage work, Smirnov swiftly acquires recognition in the real musical life as a talented performer-and-interpreter. He conducts at the performances of the Conservatory Opera Studio, of the Leningrad Theatre of Musical Comedy; he also plays on tours together with the choir ensembles of Russian cities.

But with the time being Dmitry Smirnov gets more inclined towards the composer activities; partly he is encouraged in it by his performing colleagues who show acute interest for the compositions of Dmitry.

The beginning of his concert biography can be his student performance of a cycle on S. Yesenin verses. This Smirnov's work famous nowadays conductor -- S. Bychkov - but at that time a student of the I. Musin College -- put in the repertoire of the choir he was conducting, and the work was successfully performed during the choir's numerous concerts. From that time Dmitry Smirnov's composer destiny was formed in such a way that his each new composition, soon after its creation, was successfully performed so that the number of choirs performing it raised.

Since the end of 1980s the composer's creations has been on such a demand that professional choirs are not simply performing them, but the music has become one considerable part of their repertoire. Such popular and with a lot of time play on tours groups as Lege artis (B. Abalyan), the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir (N. Kornev), the St. Petersburg Youth Chamber Choir (U. Khutoretskaya), the "Peterburg" children theatre (S. Gribkov), the St. Petersburg Conservatory Student Choir (V. Uspensky), the Academic Cappella (V. Chernushenko), that with desire present the music of St. Petersburg with Dmitry Smirnov's compositions everywhere: on compact-disks, at the concerts, at the festivals of modern music. Smirnov's music can be as well heard in other countries - in Spain, England, Sweden, Hungary, Germany, performed by groups with high professional status.

In 1987 Dmitry Smirnov joins the St. Petersburg Union of Composers, where to he was recommended by composers - V. Gavrilin, S. Banevich, A. Knaifel.

In general, Smirnov writes not only for choir; among his works are compositions for instrumental music (organ, clarinet), the music for cinema and TV, the music to drama plays. In 1985-1987 he, for the first time, addressed the opera sphere. He wrote a libretto on Lorka's drama "Yerma"; his next work of the genre is one-act chamber opera "A Girl with Matches" (a joint work with composer S. Banevich) - which was especially a success abroad. At the International, opera for children, Contest, taking place in Poland this opera was awarded the first Prize; it was staged in 1993 in the Opera House in the city of Lodze. At the same year during the contest for the best Basque choir composition Smirnov's "Two choirs" were awarded the highest prize and became the obligatory for performance plays in the next choir contests, in the city of Toloze.

His compositions of late 1990s - early 2000 are remarkable with the deep master's interest towards national oxthodox values: in particular it appears in Smirnov's vocal-choir frescos - "Lamenting Gladness to Our Mother of God", "A Prayer to the Mother of God", "Our Song to You", in Litania Lauretania.

• Chronological listing of the composer's works
• Recordings

Telephone for contacts: 114-51-61, 113-76-90