Valery Khalilov

Valery Khalilov studied at The Moscow military music school and Military Institute (of Military Conductors). The recorded working language is Russian. Employment is recorded with Moscow Conservatory. Distinctions recorded are Honored art worker of the Russian Federation, Zhukov Medal, Order of Honour and People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

• Name — Valery Khalilov • Native Name — Валерий Михайлович Халилов • Born — 30 January 1952 • Birthplace — Termez, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union • Died — 25 December 2016 • Place of death — Sochi, Russia • Death Cause — Plane crash • Burial Place — Kirzhach • Birth Name — Valery Khalilov • Allegiance — USSR Russia • Branch — * Illustration — Russian Ground Forces Russian Ground Forces • Service Years — 1970-2016 • Rank — Lieutenant General • Commands — Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia • Awards — People's Artist of Russia • Alma Mater — Moscow Military Music College • Spouse — Natalia Khalilova

Khalilov was born on 30 January 1952 into a family famous for producing military conductors in the city of Termez, located in what is now Uzbekistan. His mother Klavdiya Vasilievna Vinogradova and father Mikhail Nikolayevich Khalilov was a career officer serving as a military conductor in the Soviet Border Troops. He later on was accepted into the Moscow Military Music College where he studied and played the clarinet among many other instruments, he often described it as a hard environment and that he missed home, he graduated at the age of 23. From 1970 to 1975 he was on the conducting faculty of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (class of Professor GP Alyavdin).

Khalilov's first posting was being a conductor at the Pushkin Higher School of Radioelectronics of Air Defense under the Soviet Air Defence Forces, before being a teacher at the Moscow military conductor's faculty in 1981. As conductor of the Pushkin Higher School military band he won first place in the competition of military bands of the Leningrad Military District in 1980 and gained the attention of the chief conductor of the Moscow Military District Military Band, Major General Nikolai Mikhailov, who brought him into that band as deputy conductor in 1984. He subsequently transferred to the governing body of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the USSR that same year, marking his first national television appearance at that year's Revolution Day Parade and at the Victory Day Parade the following year as one of the deputy directors leading the massed bands that year, under his superior officer Major General Mikhalilov. Khalilov rose through the ranks and eventually became the chief conductor and Senior Director of Music of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia in 2002, with his first national TV appearance as chief conductor of the combined band in the 2003 Victory Day Parade. In May 2015, Khalilov became a member of the Board of Trustees' Academy festive culture. He served as chief conductor of the Moscow area massed military bands and emeritus director of music and conductor for the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense for a record 14 years. In that capacity, Khalilov organised many festive theatrical events in Moscow which were attended by Russian military bands and groups from many countries. Events included international military tattoos "The Kremlin Zorya", and "Spasskaya Tower". He toured with the leading bands of the Russian Armed Forces in Austria, Sweden, United States, Germany, Hungary, North Korea, Mongolia, Poland, Finland, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.

In April 2016, Khalilov became the artistic director of the Alexandrov Ensemble, known worldwide as the Red Army Choir. Khalilov retired from the Moscow Garrison Orchestra on 22 August 2016, and conducted Russian civil war song White Army, Black Baron on the Red Square as his last major performance with the massed bands. He was replaced by Colonel Timofey Mayakin, a Merited Artist of Russia, in his role as Senior Director of Music of the Military Band Service. • Illustration — Khaliliov repetition 2011 Khalilov toured the Hugh Hodgson School of Music of the University of Georgia in November 2016, where he gave musical instruction to the students, performed with the UGA Symphony Orchestra and Hodgson Wind Ensemble. He also attended a Georgia-Auburn football game with directory George Foreman, where he, according to Foreman, started composing a new march called "The Redcoat March", in honor of the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band. Khalilov died in the crash of the RA-85572 Tupolev TU-154 plane that went down in the Black Sea off Sochi on 25 December 2016 with the choir and dance arm of the ensemble, scheduled to perform for Russian troops stationed in Syria as part of New Year celebrations. The crash was believed to have been caused by a problem with the plane's flaps though recently reports suggest pilot disorientation was the cause. At a makeshift memorial set up for him, hundreds of mourners left flowers and candles. Khalilov was buried on 16 January 2017 at the Tracts the Archangelsk churchyard of the Kirzhachskiy district, Vladimir region. He was given a military funeral that was attended by many of his past and former colleagues and students, and eulogies were given by many including his successor as senior director of music, Colonel Mayakin. The Nowinki Village in that district, which is located near the Khmelevo and the Archangel churchyard, is the birthplace of the ancestors of Khalilov. This village was his childhood home and Khalilov carried his love for Nowinki and its picturesque surroundings throughout his life and as such, he was buried here instead of in Moscow. He last spent time in this village on 11 December 2016, two weeks before his death. Prior to his death, Khalilov was still actively writing music for various occasions including a piece for a Russian film.