Andrei Eshpai

Andrei Yakovlevich Eshpai (1925–2015) was an ethnic Mari (Russian and Soviet) composer. He was born at Kozmodemyansk, Mari El. A Red Army World War II veteran, he studied piano at Moscow Conservatory from 1948 to 1953 under Vladimir Sofronitsky, and composition under Nikolai Rakov, Nikolai Myaskovsky and Evgeny Golubev. He performed his postgraduate study under Aram Khachaturian from 1953 to 1956. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1981. Andrei Yakovlevic Eshpai was the son of the composer Yakov Eshpai, and the father of the filmmaker Andrei Andreyevich Eshpai.