Alexander Gradsky

Alexander Borisovich Gradsky (born Fradkin; November 3, 1949, Kopeysk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, USSR – November 28, 2021, Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet and Russian singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, poet, and composer. He is considered one of the founders of Russian rock. Born in Kopeysk, his father, Boris Abramovich Fradkin, was a mechanical engineer, and his mother, Tamara Pavlovna Gradskaya, was a graduate of GITIS. In 1957, the family moved to Moscow. His mother had a significant influence on his development. After her death in 1963, he adopted her surname, Gradsky, in her memory.

Gradsky's musical influences were diverse, ranging from Russian folk music, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles to classical performers and Soviet-era singers. He graduated from the Dunaevsky Children's Music School in violin (1967) and the Gnessin State Musical Pedagogical Institute in academic singing (1974). He also studied composition at the Moscow Conservatory under Tikhon Khrennikov from 1976 to 1977.

His musical career began in 1963 with the student group 'Tarakany'. In 1965, he founded 'Slavyane', one of the first Soviet rock bands, followed by the more popular group 'Skomorokhi' in 1966. He also participated in other bands, including 'Los Panchos', 'Skify', and briefly 'Vesyolye Rebyata'. His collaboration with composer David Tukhmanov on the 1972 album 'How Beautiful the World Is' furthered his career.

A major breakthrough came in 1974 when director Andrei Konchalovsky commissioned him to compose the music and perform the vocal parts for the film 'A Romance for Lovers'. The film's success brought Gradsky widespread fame. The London-based Music Week magazine named him 'Star of the Year' for 1974 from the USSR. In 1976, he recorded the iconic song 'Kak molody my byli' ('How Young We Were'), which became his signature piece.

Gradsky was a prolific composer. He authored the rock opera 'Stadion' ('Stadium'), dedicated to the memory of Victor Jara, which he worked on for over ten years, releasing it in 1985 with an all-star cast of Soviet performers including Alla Pugacheva and Iosif Kobzon. In the mid-1980s, he developed a solo program featuring satirical songs like 'Anti-Perestroika Blues'. He became a member of the USSR Union of Composers in 1987 and in 1988, performed the role of the Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's 'The Golden Cockerel' at the Bolshoi Theatre.

In the late 1980s, Gradsky began to travel internationally, collaborating with artists such as Liza Minnelli, Charles Aznavour, and John Denver. He signed a contract with Victor Entertainment in Japan, releasing two albums and performing concerts there. He also composed music for three rock ballets. In the post-Soviet era, he continued to be a major figure, composing music for over 40 feature films and numerous documentaries and animated films. In 1991, he founded the 'Gradsky Hall' music theater in Moscow, serving as its artistic director until his death.

Gradsky was often critical of the Russian rock scene and mainstream television. In 2009, he released the opera 'Master and Margarita' as an audio recording featuring a star-studded cast of Russian artists. From 2012 to 2021, he gained renewed popularity as a mentor on the television show 'Golos' ('The Voice'), where participants from his team won four seasons, cementing his reputation as a respected teacher and mentor.

On November 26, 2021, Gradsky was hospitalized with a suspected stroke. He passed away in Moscow on November 28, 2021, at the age of 72 from an ischemic stroke. The farewell ceremony was held at his 'Gradsky Hall' theater, and he was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow.

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