22 Facts About Valery Khalilov

Valery Mikhaylovich Khalilov was an Uzbek-born Russian military band conductor and composer.

Valery Khalilov died when the plane he was on, en route to Syria, crashed into the Black Sea off Sochi, Russia.

Valery Khalilov's father Mikhail Nikolayevich Khalilov was a career officer in the Soviet Border Troops.

Valery 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.

Valery Khalilov 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.

Valery 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, Valery Khalilov became a member of the Board of Trustees' Academy festive culture.

Valery Khalilov 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, Valery Khalilov organised many festive theatrical events in Moscow which were attended by Russian military bands and groups from many countries.

Valery Khalilov 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.

Valery 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.

Valery 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.

Valery 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.

Valery Khalilov was buried on 16 January 2017 at the Tracts the Archangelsk churchyard of the Kirzhachskiy district, Vladimir region.

Valery Khalilov last spent time in this village on 11 December 2016, two weeks before his death.

Valery Khalilov was an accomplished musician and conductor, able to play many types of musical instruments, including the piano, with proficiency, and to conduct both choirs and bands.

Valery Khalilov conducted the thousand-strong massed military bands during Victory Day parades including the band's closing performance for the parade.

Valery Khalilov was the last of the great conductors educated in Soviet times.

Valery Khalilov described the effect these bands have in the following 2005 interview with the Los Angeles Times:.

Valery Khalilov died less than two months after conducting and touring with the band.

Valery Khalilov Square in Kirzhach is named after him in his memory and according to a Russian news commentary, the square "is a lovely park - the same age as the deceased conductor".

Social activists of the city have decided to establish a festival of brass bands in memory of Valery Khalilov, which is to be held in the newly opened Alexander Garden.