Vladislav Soyfer

Vladislav Soyfer (, 16 July 1961 — 31 July 2021) was a composer, music teacher, arranger, and translator. Biography Born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR (present-day Ukraine), Soyfer spent his childhood in Tashkent before moving to Moscow. He initially enrolled at the Moscow Land Development Institute but later followed his passion for music by entering the October Revolution Music School. There, he studied under Vasily Gorbatov, a blind musician and music theorist. Concurrently, Soyfer served in a military band. From 1984 to 1989, Soyfer studied composition at the Moscow Conservatory under Edison Denisov, Nikolai Sidelnikov, and others. His most significant musical development, however, came through private lessons with the Romanian-born composer Philip Herschkowitz between 1986 and 1989. A student of Alban Berg and Anton Webern, Herschkowitz had a profound influence on Soyfer, who dedicated his work to continuing the traditions of the Second Viennese School. From 1989 to 1996, Soyfer also attended lectures as a non-degree student in the philosophy and philology faculties at Moscow State University. These included lectures by Mikhail Gasparov, Sergey Averintsev, and Alexander Dobrokhoto