Andrey Petrov

Andrey Petrov (1930–2006) was a Soviet and Russian composer, known for his music for numerous classic Soviet films such as Walking the Streets of Moscow, Amphibian Man, Beware of the Car, and A Cruel Romance. A native of Saint Petersburg, he was the son of a military doctor; his mother was an artist. He studied composition at the Leningrad Conservatory under Orest Yevlakhov. Petrov is known for his work in various genres; he wrote a number of operas and ballets, as well as symphonic works, incidental and film music, and various songs. He is especially famous for his ballet Creation of the World, based on drawings by Jean Effel. This was performed around the world, with Mikhail Baryshnikov among its first performers. Petrov also scored over eighty films, including the Soviet-American co-production The Blue Bird. From 1964 until his death, Petrov was the head of the Saint Petersburg Composers' Union. He also founded and served as the general director of a music festival in Saint Petersburg. He won numerous prizes and awards and in 1993 a small planet, asteroid 4785 (Petrov) was named after him.