P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Ashrafi, Mukhtor

Tajik composer and conductor Mukhtor Ashrafuvich Ashrafi was

born in Bukhara on May 29, 1912. Known as one of the major figures in

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Iraj Bashiri

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

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opera in the East, Ashrafi's career began when, between 1934 and 1936,

he studied at the Moscow Conservatory.

In 1948, he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory. Between

1944 and 1953, he served first as a teacher and then as a professor at the

Tashkent Conservatory.

Ashrafi moved to Dushanbe in 1930. Following the direction of

Radio Tajikistan, he prepared a series of twenty Tajiki songs. In 1932,

he accompanied the Tajikistan Ensemble to Leningrad. His most well

known contribution was Siuetai Raqsii Tojiki (The Tajiki Dance Suite).

At the end of his life, Ashrafi created several great works, including

Shamshir va Mahabbat (The Sword and Love, 1974), Dostoni Rustam

(The Story of Rustam, 1974), and the musical score for the Tajiki film

Az Gang to Kreml' (From the Ganges to the Kremlin, 1975), and others.

Ashrafi joined the Union of Writers of the Soviet Union in 1941. He

became a People's Artist of the Soviet Union in 1951. He also is the

recipient of two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner of

Labor, the Badge of Honor, and the Order of the Presidium of the

Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan.

Ashrafi died on December 15, 1975, in Tashkent.