Yuri Falik
Yuri (Yury ) Alexandrovich Falik (; July 30, 1936, Odessa, USSR – January 23. 2009, Saint-Petersburg, Russia) was a Russian composer, orchestral conductor, cellist, a board member of the Leningrad (Saint-Petersburg) branch of the Composers' Union, and People's Artist of Russia. Biography Childhood and youth Yuri Falik was born into the family of orchestral musicians. His father Alexander Efimovich Falik played percussion in the Odessa Opera orchestra. His mother Yevgenia Mikhailovna also worked at the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre. In early childhood, Yuri Falik was often present at orchestra rehearsals and opera productions, easily memorizing and humming the music he heard. Yuri and his mother were evacuated to Kyrgyzstan during World War II. His father volunteered on the front lines of the war, and perished in 1942. The family tragedy and traumatic experiences of his early childhood strongly influenced not only Falik's personality but also his art. After returning to Odessa in 1944, he started to study cello under the guidance of his father's friend from the Odessa Opera House symphony orchestra, David Abramovich Mevzhinsky. The following year, Falik entered his class at the famous Odessa Secondary Special Music Boarding School, beginning his systematic music education. At the age