Lyudmila Lyadova was born in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) into a family of professional musicians. Her father was Alexei Ivanovich Lyadov, a tenor soloist and violinist of the Sverdlovsk Opera Theatre, and her mother was Julia P. Lyadova (1902-1980) who sang with the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Orchestra.

  Lyudmila began to take musical lessons in her early childhood. At first her parents taught her, then she studied with V.A. Bernhard. At the age of 10, Lyudmila entered the Sverdlovsk Conservatory where she studied with B.S. Marants and V. Trambitsky. After only a year in the Conservatory Lyudmila could play the most complicated musical composition, she also took part in many contests and festivals. In 1939, at the age of 14, she made her debut with the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic conducted by Mark Pavermana.

    During World War II, Lyadova and her mother became active in concert brigades to entertain the soldiers, where Lyudmila played and sang popular songs solo and in duet with her mother. In November 1943 Lyadova together with 12 other best students of the Conservatory was sent to Moscow for the festival of young talented musicians. Lyudmila came to Moscow not as only a student, but as a newcomer composer. By that time, she had already written a children's miniature on poems by Agniya Barto and Petrovsky and other works including a piano sonata. Her works were valued by experienced composers.

  After her returning to Sverdlovsk, Lyudmila Lyadova set a duet with Nina Panteleeva. In 1946 they won the first prize at the all-USSR contest of variety performers in Moscow. After that contest the duet gained an enormous success among the public. Many famous Soviet composers, such as Fradkin, Frenkel, Zharkovsky, Bogoslovsky, Khrennikov, Dunayevsky, Milyutin, Mokrousov wrote their new songs for the duet. Lyudmila Lyadova made all musical arrangements by herself.
  At autumn 1948 Lyadova and Panteleeva went on to tour successfully and participated in variety shows and summer theatres.

At February 1951 Lyudmila Lyadova was accepted for the Union of the Soviet Composers. Soon her great  creative potential suprassed which led to the duet's breakup. Lyadova began her solo career, she sang her own songs and songs of other composers arranged by her. 

Lydmila Lyadova wrote more than 800 songs - both buoyant and lyrical romances, but never pessimistic or sorrowful ones. The most popular songs among Soviet people were "Stary Marsh" (An Old March), "Chudo-Pesenka" (A Miraculous Song), "Baraban" (A Drum), "Ai-Lyuli", written for T. Miansarova. "Stary Marsh" and "Baraban" were played by all military bands of the country.

  A Lyadova's romance "Plenitelnye Zvuki" (The Charming Sounds) was sung by N. Obukhova and L. Maslennikova. A romance "Lunnaya Noch" (The Moonlit Night) was sung by Zara Dolukhanova. Lydova's songs were also sung by M. Biyeshu, I. Petrov, G. Pisarenko, A. Eizen, N, Tkachenko, B. Rudenko, L. Abramova, N. Vasilyeva, L. Polyanskaya. Together with a poet Georgy Khodosov Lyudmila Lyadova wrote about 100 songs, such as: "Tak Leghko" (It's so easy), "Yedem s nami" (Let's go with us), "V Koronnom Zale" (In the Crown Hall), "Polkovoy Orkestr" (The regimental Orchestra), "Vozhatiy Nash" (Our Guide) and others.

Lyadova also worked with a port V. Lazarev, creating such well-known songs as: "Zhenschina" (A Woman), "Pozdniy  Poklon" (Late Bow), "Bez viny vinovatiy" (Guilty though Guiltless), "Skazka o Lyubvi" (Fairy Tale about Love), a waltz "Zemnaya Krasota" (Earthly Beauty), a romance "Pozdno" (It's Late). Many Lyadova's songs were created in cooperation with Soviet poets S. Mikhalkov, E. Yevtushenko, N. Dorizo, L. Zubkova, B. Bryansky, V. Petrov, T. Ponomaryova and others.

Lyudmila Lyadova is an author of an opera "Dva Tsveta Vremeni" (Two Colours of Time), operettas "Pod Chyornoy Maskoy" (Under a Black Mask), "Atamansha" (Ataman Woman), "U opasnoy Tcherty" (Near the Dangerous Line), "Kto Tvoya Nevesta?" (Who is Your Bride?), musicals "Dusha Soldata" (The Soldier's Soul), "Grafinya iz San-Francisco" (A Countess from San-Francisco), playing and singing poems "Velikaya Bitva" (The Great Battle), "Tyumen-Surgut". Her music was used in ballet numbers "Slepaya Devushka" (Blind Girl), "Ispanskiy Tanets" (Spanish Dance), "Negrityanskiye Kukly" (Negro Dolls).

Now Lyudmila Lyadova is 86, but she is full of life, new ideas and an inexhaustible optimism. She is continuing to write new songs, to concertize around the country and to try herself in different musical trends. In 2000 she issued an album with songs for children. Lyadova is also busying herself with teaching and giving unique masterclasses. It is hard to collect the full list of her awards, prizes and medals. But the most valuable prize is the love and respect of her supporters, pupils and the whole country.

 

Honors and awards

• People's Artist of USSR (1985) and the RSFSR
• Honored Art Worker of Russia (1975)
• USSR State Prize
• Russian State Prize named after AV Alexandrova
• Lenin Komsomol Award
• Awarded the Order of Merit (2000)
• Awarded the Order of Friendship (1997)
• Medals or Labour Distinction
• Medal for the development of virgin lands
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  Big Works

• Podem (Lyrics: Vladimir Kharitonov) 1980
• Two Colors of Time, opera (libretto by E. and A. Kushakova Snitsarenko, 1986)
• Under a black mask. operetta (libretto by J. Lelganta, 1960)
• Atamansha (libretto by G. Pavlov, 1972)
• In a dangerous level (libretto by I. Petrova, 1976)
• Who's your bride? (libretto by I. Petrova, 1978)
• Miner's Bride (libretto by I. Petrova, 1983)
• Soul Soldier (libretto by E . Shatunovsky, 1962),
• The Tale of Eremu, Daniel and evil forces (libretto by Petrova, 1977)
• A Countess from San Francisco (director/playwright, P.A. Grads, Izhevsk Academic Opera, 1993)
• The Great Battle (lyrics by Vladimir Petrov, 1967)
• Concert Waltz for piano, 1950
• Carousel for piano, 1960
• Concert Polka for piano, 1965
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, 1965
• Intermezzo, Rhapsody, for Russian Folk Instruments
• Kolkhoznaya Polka, 1950
• Ural Rhapsody, 1951
• Volga Suite, 1952
• The Feast of the Volga for orchestra, 1957
• Holiday in the stadium for orchestra, 1958
• Russian souvenir for orchestra, 1961
• Coconuts for orchestra, 1963
• Elegy for violin and piano, 1961
• Blind Girl for violin, 1962
• Fantasy for accordion, 1962
• Negro Doll, ballet
• Spanish Dance, ballet
  
  

Lyadova sings the song "Chudo-Pesenka" (Miraculous Song).  

Eduard Hil sings a song "Baraban" (A Drum) written by Lyudmila Lyadova.

Joseph Kobzon sings a song "Stariy Marsh" (An Old March), written by Lyadova

Sources: Wikipedia Lyadova's Fan Site Persona

Julia Alieva