Andrei Eshpai, classical pianist, composer & scholar, Died at 90

  Music, Writers

Andrei Yakovlevich Eshpai was born on May 15, 1925, and died on November 8, 2015.

He was an ethnic Mari (Russian and Soviet) composer.

Andrei was born at Kozmodemyansk, Mari El. A Red Army World War II veteran.

He studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory from 1948 to 1953 under Vladimir Sofronitsky, and composition under Nikolai Rakov, Nikolai Myaskovsky and Evgeny Golubev.

Andrei performed his postgraduate study under Aram Khachaturian from 1953 to 1956.

He was the son of the composer Yakov Andreyevich Eshpai, and the father of the filmmaker Andrei Andreyevich Eshpai.

On November 8, 2015, Andrei passed away at age 90 in Moscow from a stroke.