Sergey Yakovlevich Nikitin (russian: link=no, Серге́й Яковлевич Никитин, born 8 March 1944) is a prominent Soviet and Russian

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, and biophysicist. He performs both solo and in a duet with his wife,

Tatyana Nikitina Tatyana Khashimovna Nikitina (russian: Татьяна Хашимовна Никитина, born 31 December 1945) is a prominent Russian bard. She usually performs together with her husband, Sergey Nikitin. Biography She was born Tatiana Sadykov ...

all over Russia, the former Soviet republics, and other countries with significant Russian-speaking diaspora. Nikitin is also known as a composer and performer of songs for children.

Biography

Sergey Nikitin graduated from the Physics Department of Moscow State University in 1968. After completing postgraduate studies at the department of Biophysics at Moscow State University, he worked as a researcher in Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry in Moscow (1971–1980). In 1980–1987 he was a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics in Pushchino and received a PhD in Physics in 1983. Nikitin wrote music to his first song, ''En route'' (lyrics by

Iosif Utkin Iosif Pavlovich Utkin (russian: Ио́сиф Па́влович У́ткин ) ( – 13 November 1944) was a Russian poet of the World War II generation. Utkin was born on 13 May at the Khingan station (in modern Yakeshi) of the Chinese ...

), in 1962. In 1963, he founded an all-male

quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

in the Department of Physics at Moscow State University, together with Sergey Smirnov, Boris Geller, Aleksei Monakhov, and later Vadim Khait. From 1968 to 1977, he appeared at numerous concerts, together with other members of his quintet, including his wife,

, Carmen Santacreu, Vladimir Ulin, and Nikolai Turkin. In 1987–1995, he was Musical Director at the Oleg Tabakov Studio-Theater in Moscow, and became a full-time singer and composer since 1995. Sergei and his wife Tatyana are very close friends of and, beginning in 2002, the three of them provided funding to improve the Smolensk Special School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children (russian: Смоленская специальная школа для слепых и слабовидящих детей)

Family

Nikitin has an adult son, Alexander.

Awards

*1980 The movie ''

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears ''Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears'' (russian: Москва слезам не верит, Moskva slezam ne verit) is a 1980 Soviet romantic drama film made by Mosfilm. It was written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov. The lead ...

'' for which Sergey Nikitin wrote the music received an Oscar in the 'best foreign film' category. *In 1997, Sergey Nikitin was awarded the title of the Meritorious Actor of Russia and, together with Tatiana Nikitina, became a laureate of the Tzarsko-Selsky Artistic Prize.

Works

*CDs **
Records of 1971–1975
', quintet of the Department of Physics in Moscow State University **
To the Music of Vivaldi
' ("Под музыку Вивальди"), 1994 **
Sergei Nikitin'' (selected songs)
1994 ** ''A Big Secret for a Small Company'' ("Большой секрет для маленькой компании"), 1995 ** ''Yesterday the Crocodile smiled'', 1995 **
Rubber hedgehog
', songs for children on verses by Yunna Morits **
Brich-Mulla
' (Sergey Nikitin's songs on verses by Dmitry Sukharev cf.

Brichmulla Burchmullo ( uz, Burchmullo, russian: Бурчмулла, Burchmulla, formerly ''Brichmulla'') is an urban-type settlement in the northeast of Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan. It is part of Boʻstonliq District. Its population is 4,100 (2016). It lies ...

), 1996 **
Sentries of Love
' ("Часовые любви", The Nikitins sing Bulat Okudzhava's songs) **
Field of miracles
', 1998 **
We don't choose times
', 1998 ** ''The Girl and the Plasticine'', 1998 **
Something is Happening to Me
' (Sergey Nikitin's songs to the verses of Yevgeny Yevtushenko), 1999 **
Concert
', 2000 **
Retro for the Two of Us
' (Sergey Nikitin and Pyotr Todorovsky) **
Black and White Cinema
', 2002 **
Winter Holiday
', 2002 *Soundtracks to live-action films: **''Almost a laughable story'' **''Trips in an old car'' **''

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears ''Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears'' (russian: Москва слезам не верит, Moskva slezam ne verit) is a 1980 Soviet romantic drama film made by Mosfilm. It was written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov. The lead ...

'' **''

Irony of Fate ''The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!'' (russian: Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!, literally: The Irony of Fate, or With A Light Steam; trans. ''Ironiya sudby, ili S lyogkim parom!''), usually shortened to ''The ...

'', – a song from the film, lyrics by

Boris Pasternak Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (; rus, Бори́с Леони́дович Пастерна́к, p=bɐˈrʲis lʲɪɐˈnʲidəvʲɪtɕ pəstɛrˈnak; 30 May 1960) was a Russian poet, novelist, composer and literary translator. Composed in 1917, Pa ...

, music and performance by Nikitin, English subtitles by V. Chetin **''Old New Year'' *Soundtracks to animated films: **
A Big Secret for a Small Company
' (1979) **
The Boy Was Walking, the Crow Was Flying
' (1981) **
The Wolfskin
' (1982) *Music for the theater ** '' Mary Poppins'', a collaboration with Viktor Berkovsky **'' Ali Baba and 40 songs of Persian Bazaar'' a collaboration with Viktor Berkovsky, libretto by

Veniamin Smekhov Veniamin Borisovich Smekhov (russian: Вениами́н Бори́сович Сме́хов; born August 10, 1940 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and director. He was the winner of the Petropol Award (2000) as well as the ...

**Opera ''Why are you wearing tails'' (based on a vaudeville by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

the ''Proposal'') **and many others

References

External links

Full list of published songs by Nikitin with digital recordings (in Russian)

Facebook accountVK accountConcert by Nikitin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikitin, Sergey 1944 births Living people Moscow State University alumni Russian bards Russian composers Russian male composers Soviet physicists Russian singer-songwriters Seven-string guitarists Russian male singer-songwriters Soviet composers Soviet male composers Soviet musicians Soviet male singer-songwriters 20th-century guitarists 20th-century Russian male singers 20th-century Russian singers