Valery Khalilov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valery Khalilov
Валерий Халилов |
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Khalilov in 2016
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| Born |
Valeriy Mikhaylovich Khalilov
30 January 1952 |
| Died | 25 December 2016 (aged 64) |
| Cause of death | Plane crash |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Military conductor, composer |
| Title | People's Artist of Russia (2014) |
| Political party | Communist Party |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Russia |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
Valery Mikhaylovich Khalilov (Russian: Валерий Михайлович Халилов; 30 January 1952 – 25 December 2016) was a famous Russian military band conductor and composer. He was born in Uzbekistan. As a high-ranking officer in the Russian military, he led the music for the country's armed forces. He was best known for directing the huge combined Russian military bands at the annual "Victory Day" parade in Moscow's Red Square. He did this a record 14 times. Sadly, he died when the plane he was on crashed into the Black Sea near Sochi, Russia. He was on his way to Syria to perform.
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Early Life and Music Training
Valery Khalilov was born on January 30, 1952, in Termez, a city in what is now Uzbekistan. His family was well-known for having many military conductors. His father, Mikhail Nikolayevich Khalilov, was an officer in the Soviet border guards. Valery started writing his own music when he was only four years old.
He began his formal music training at a young age. At 11, he graduated from a special music school in Moscow for military musicians. From 1970 to 1975, he studied conducting at the famous Moscow State Conservatory Tchaikovsky.
A Career in Military Music
Khalilov's first job was as a conductor at a military school for radio electronics. Later, in 1981, he became a teacher at a military music conducting school in Moscow. His military band won first place in a competition in 1980. This caught the attention of Major General Nikolai Mikhailov, a top conductor in Moscow.
In 1984, Khalilov joined the main group that managed military bands for the Armed Forces of the USSR. He appeared on national television for the first time that year. He helped lead the massed bands at the Revolution Day Parade and the Victory Day Parade.
Leading Russia's Military Bands
Khalilov continued to advance in his career. In 2002, he became the chief conductor and Senior Director of Music for the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia. His first time leading the combined band on national TV as chief conductor was at the 2003 Victory Day Parade. He held this important role for 14 years.
In his position, Khalilov organized many big music events in Moscow. These events featured Russian military bands and groups from other countries. Some famous events included "The Kremlin Zorya" and the "Spasskaya Tower" festival. He also traveled with leading Russian military bands to many countries, sharing their music.
Later Years and Tragic Death
In April 2016, Khalilov became the artistic director of the Alexandrov Ensemble, also known as the Red Army Choir. He retired from the Moscow Garrison Orchestra on August 22, 2016. His last major performance with the massed bands was conducting a Russian civil war song in Red Square. Colonel Timofey Mayakin took over his role as Senior Director of Music.
In November 2016, Khalilov visited the University of Georgia in the United States. He taught music students and performed with the university's orchestras. He even started composing a new march, "The Redcoat March," inspired by the university's marching band.
Sadly, Valery Khalilov died on December 25, 2016. He was on a Tupolev Tu-154 plane that crashed into the Black Sea near Sochi. The plane was carrying members of the Red Army Choir and dance group. They were going to Syria to perform for Russian troops during New Year celebrations. Many people left flowers and candles at a memorial for him.
Khalilov was buried on January 16, 2017, in the Vladimir region of Russia. He received a military funeral, attended by many of his friends, colleagues, and students. He was buried in his childhood home village, a place he loved very much.
Musical Legacy
Khalilov was a very talented musician and conductor. He could play many instruments, including the piano, and lead both choirs and bands. He was famous for conducting the huge military bands, sometimes with a thousand musicians, during the Victory Day parades. He led the bands for the 60th, 65th, and 70th Victory Day parades, which were especially grand.
Khalilov was seen as one of the last great conductors trained during the Soviet era. After the Soviet Union ended, the military bands faced challenges. When he became the conductor of the Massed Bands of the Moscow Garrison, he worked hard to rebuild and improve them. Because of him, the bands became an even more important part of the Victory Day parades. For example, in 2003, fewer than 400 musicians performed. But by 2016, over a thousand musicians, led by many directors, were part of the parade. In 2010, Khalilov successfully led a huge band that included both Russian and foreign military bands.
Khalilov once explained the importance of military music in a 2005 interview:
"Military music is incredibly important for Russians, because military music is a component of the Russian army, and the army has always played a crucially important role in protecting Russia’s great statehood and in making it a powerful nation."
Besides conducting, Khalilov was also a skilled composer. He wrote many pieces for brass bands, including "Adagio," "Kant," and "Afghan." He also composed marches like "Cadet," "Youth," and "Ulan," as well as other songs. Some of his new military marches were used in the Victory Day parades he conducted. To honor his birthday, a music festival called the Valery Khalilov International Music Festival was planned for January 2020.
The University of Georgia's Hodgson Wind Ensemble honored Khalilov after his death. They performed one of his pieces, "March Bodrii," with an empty podium. This showed the big space he left in the music world.
Awards and Recognition
Valery Khalilov received many awards during his career. These included the Order of Honor and the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd Class. He also earned the titles of Honoured People's Artist of Russia and Honoured Art Worker of Russia.
He was well-known to the public because he often gave interviews and appeared in TV shows about Russian military bands. The Moscow Military Music College was renamed the Moscow Military Music College Lieutenant-General VM Khalilov in his honor. A square in Kirzhach, a city in Russia, is also named Valery Khalilov Square. Local groups have also decided to start a brass band festival in his memory. This festival will be held in a beautiful new park.
One of the streets in the city was also renamed after him. Officials renamed various places and institutions by January 30, Khalilov's birthday, to remember him.
