Signatures of musicians

Cecilia Bartoli

Born in 1966.

Outstanding Italian opera singer (coloratura mezzo-soprano). She was acknowledged as a performer of Mozart and Rossini and baroque compositions. She released several solo albums. She won Grammy award (2002) and multiple Echo Classic awards.

Viktor Tsoi

(1962-1990)

Soviet rock artist of the 1980s, founder and leader of Kino rock group. He acted in several movies. He was also famous as a writer, artist and sculptor.

Andrea Bocelli

Born in 1958.

Italian opera singer (tenor), performer of popular music. He is an example of modern opera performer, participates in opera performances as a solo singer. He is called “the forth tenor” connecting his name with Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

Michael Jackson

(1958-2009)

American singer, dancer and songwriter. He received his first international fame at the age of 12 as a frontman in children group Jackson 5. Later he became one of the most successful solo artists in history and was proclaimed the King of Pop. He has 13 Grammy awards, his name was entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: as a participant in Jackson 5 and as a solo performer.

Boris Grebenshchikov

Born in 1953.

Russian poet and musician, frontman of Aquarium rock group, vocalist and guitarist. One of “founding fathers” of Soviet rock music and a cult figure of the youth culture of the 1980s.

Sting

Born in 1951.

Real name – Gordon Mathew Thomas Samner. English rock museum, composer and actor, leader of The Police in 1976-1984. As at today he has acted in more than ten movies and recorded soundtracks for more than forty motion pictures.

Alla Borisovna Pugacheva

Born in 1949.

Soviet and Russian variety singer, actress, TV presenter. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1980), People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1985), People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1991), winner of the State Prize of Russia. She possesses unique collection of titles, prizes and awards.

Elton John

Born in 1947.

English singer, composer, pianist, knight, Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During his almost 40-year career over 250 million of his recordings have been sold. One of the most successful singers of all time.

Bob Marley

(1945-1981)

Jamaican musician, guitarist, vocalist and composer. Up to now he is the most popular reggae performer. It is due to his wide-scale success reggae became so popular outside Jamaica.

Paul McCartney

Born in 1942.

Outstanding British rock musician, singer and composer, one of founders of cult group “The Beatles”. He was knighted in 1997 by Elizabeth II, Queen of England. MBE, five time winner of the Ivor Novello Award, entered into the Guiness Book of Records as the most successful author and performer of popular music of all time, having sold over 100 million singles and 60 golden disks.

Cesária Évora

Born in 1941.

Singer from Cape Verde, performer of fado and modinha. She recorded her first album at the age of 45 and became famous worldwide in 1988. She wan two Grammy awards and was nominated five times. Winner of French music award “Victoire de la Musique”.

John Lennon

(1940-1980)

British rock musician, singer, poet, composer, artist, writer. Founder and member of the Beatles, one of the most popular musicians of the XXth century. One of the most prominent public figures of 1960-1970. He is in the eighth place in the list of one hundred greatest Britons of all time under the results of the poll of BBC media corporation.

Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky

(1938-1980)

Russian poet, theater and movie actor, musician, author of music and song texts. He is also known as an author of several prose works and had small experience in directing. Author of several scripts, he wrote about 700 songs and poets and performed about 30 roles in motion pictures. Works of Vladimir Vysotsky produced enormous influence on development of home rock music.

Joe Dassin

(1938-1980)

American-born French singer and musician. One of the most famous French singers. Works of Joe Dassin remain topical nowadays as well.

Elvis Presley

(1935-1977)

American singer and actor. He remains the most successful performer of popular music in the XXth century, he still owns numerous unsurpassed records in record industry. He is still called the King of Rock and Roll, in America – simply the King.

Nina Simone

(1933-2003)

American singer, pianist, composer, arranger. She kept to the jazz tradition but used very different material, in particular combining jazz, soul, pop music, gospel, blues, recorded music with large bands. During her musical career she released 170 studio and live albums and singles and performed over 320 songs.

Miles Davis

(1926-1991)

American jazz musician, trumpeter and bandleader. He was the source of such jazz directions a modal jazz, cool jazz and fusion. He influenced considerably development of jazz in the XXth century.

Maria Callas

(1923-1977)

Opera singer (soprano) of Greek origin. She belongs to such opera reformers as Richard Wagner and Arturo Toscanini. Music culture of the XXth century is closely connected with her name.

Ella Fitzgerald

(1917-1996)

American jazz singer also known as "Lady Ella" and the "First Lady of Song", one of the greatest jazz vocalists in history of jazz. She had a vocal range spanning three octaves. She was the winner of 13 Grammy awards, during her life over 40 million of her records were sold. She was awarded with the National Medal of Art and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Frank Sinatra

(1915-1998)

American actor, singer and showman. When a young man he was nicknamed Frankie and The Voice, later – Ol’ Blue Eyes and The Chairman of the Board. During 50 years of his musical career he recorded about 100 singles. He won 11 Grammy awards, Academy Award. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Édith Piaf

(1915-1963)

Real name – Édith Giovanna Gassion. Legendary French singer and actress, one of the greatest world variety singers. Idol of many generations.

Louis Armstrong

(1901-1971)

American jazz trumpeter, vocalist and bandleader. Greatest musician of the XXth century producing, together with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the maximum influence on development of jazz, and done a lot for promoting jazz all over the world.

Duke Ellington

(1899-1974)

Pianist, arranger, bandleader. One of the greatest musicians in jazz history. He won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously.

Alexander Vertinsky

(1889-1957)

Russian variety artist, movie actor, composer, performer of love songs and songs, variety idol of the first half of the XXth century, one of forerunners of the art song genre. Poet, scriptwriter for a number of silent movies. Winner of the USSR State Prize.

Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin

(1873-1938)

Great Russian opera singer (bass). In 1918 he took the position of the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater and received the title of the People’s Artist of the Republic. In 1928, with the Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR he was deprived of the title of People’s Artist and the right to return to the USSR. This decree was cancelled on June 10, 1991.