Music world mourns

Composer Sofia Gubaidulina (93) passes away

The grande dame among the world's living composers died on March 13 at the age of 93 near Hamburg.

(Bild: David Carreno Hansen)

The Russian composer and "flying recluse" Sofia Gubaidulina has died at the age of 93. She is considered one of the most influential contemporary composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Gubaidulina studied composition and piano at the Kazan Conservatory. In the 1960s and 1970s, her works were banned in the Soviet Union because her music did not conform to the ideas of Socialist Realism.

"She comes and brings light"
 Soloists such as Gidon Kremer, Mstislav Rostropovich and Anne-Sophie Mutter have performed her works, and stars such as Kurt Masur, Christian Thielemann and Simon Rattle have conducted them. The latter once described her as a "flying hermit": "Every now and then she comes down to earth and brings us light and then goes back into her orbit."

Often referred to as the "mystic of music", the artist always wanted to combine sound and soul and felt the urge to compose even as a child. "In my opinion, the most important goal of a work of art is the transformation of time," she once said.

Lived in Germany
In 2018, Gubaidulina was appointed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars every year. The artist was married three times and had lived in Germany since 1992.