Mikael Tariverdiev, piano

Mikael Tariverdiev (Russian: Микаэл Таривердиев, Armenian: Միքայել Թարիվերդիև; 15 August 1931 – 24 July 1996) was a prominent Soviet composer of Armenian descent who is best known for his music to many popular Soviet films (more than 130, including «Seventeen Moments of Spring» and «The Irony of Fate»).

He was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR to Armenian parents, but lived and worked in Russia. He studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan for two years and then graduated from the Moscow Gnessin Institute in the class of Aram Khachaturian in 1957.

Mikael Tariverdiev was a recipient of many awards, including one from the American Music Academy in 1975, one from Japans Victor Company in 1978, and three Nika film awards in the 90s. He was awarded a title Peoples Artist of Russia in 1986.