Ukrainian Soviet composer.
Biography
He was born on December 9, 1930 in Kharkiv in the family of graphic artist Lazar Yakovych Verbytskyi (1905-1942).
Childhood
In 1934, the father was transferred to Kyiv, and the family moved to the capital of Ukraine. My father managed the art department of the central newspaper "Vesti". Collaborated with Vladimir Sosyura, Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Maxim Rylskyi, Ivan Shevchenko. They lived on Pirogovska street, next to the house of writers. He started playing music even before the war, but the war interrupted these activities, his father went to the front as a volunteer and died in 1942. The mother, Olena Yuriivna Verbytska, was evacuated to Chkalov (Orenburg) with her two children. In 1944, Kyiv was liberated and the family returned to their homeland. There was always a desire for music, his uncle from the front brought an accordion as a gift and he learned to play it very quickly. Later, he became an excellent accordionist and created one of the first musical ensembles (quartet) on Kyiv Radio and Television.
Family
In 1956, he married Halyna Henrikhivna (née Kaplun). The wife worked in the Kyiv House of Scientists as the head of the cultural and mass sector.
In 1958, they had a daughter, Natalia, who studied at the ten-year Kyiv Music School named after M. V. Lysenko, and then at the Kyiv Children's Music School No. 3 named after V. S. Kosenko. In 1977, she graduated from the Music School named after Reinhold Glier.
Work
In 1956, he graduated from the Kyiv Conservatory in the composition class of prof. Lyatoshynskyi. After graduating from the conservatory, he worked at Ukrestrade, always gravitating towards pop and jazz music, although he also has classical works, a piano suite, a trio for violin, f-no and double bass. His instrumental piece for trumpet and orchestra was published and recorded in Moscow with Yuri Silantiev's orchestra.
In 1963, he was invited to the Kyiv Academic Theater of Russian Drama named after Lesya Ukrainka to the position of music director, as well as the head of the touring group of soloists of the National Opera Theater. But at the same time, he never left the desire to write pop plays and songs. Each new song was recorded in Moscow for the transmission of "Good Morning!" (Russian: Good morning!), "From Saturday to Saturday", "Blue Light" (Russian: Голубой огонык). His songs were performed in many pop groups of the country and some foreign groups: the Greek ensemble under the direction of Katsaros, the Yugoslav singers Djorje Marjanovych and Radmila Karaklaic. Collaborated with Leonid Utyosov, Mykola Slichenko, Oleg Lundström. For about 20 years, he was friends with the poet Oleksandr Vrataryov, their song "There goes a girl" (Russian), performed by Yulia Pashkovskaya, became a world-famous hit, and the song "Duel" (1969) (Russian), known as "Romance Natali" has become a favorite of many generations.
Leonid Verbytskyi's songs were performed by Yulia Pashkovska, Tamara Miansarova, Yosif Kobzon, Zinaida Nevska, Maya Kristalinska, Yurii Gulyaev, Viktor Vuyachich, [Tetyana Okunevska], Vadym Monin, Yevgenia Miroshnychenko, Dmytro Hnatyuk, Valentina Kuprina, Lina Prokhorova and many others.
Emigration
In 1979, he had to emigrate with his family to the USA. The Ukrainian diaspora opera singer Halyna Adriadis took his song "Storks" into her repertoire, and the composer was accused of treason to the motherland and cooperation with the USA. When he came to the USA, he met the actress and singer Evelina Belyuts and became her accompanist, and her husband was an entertainer and concert director. He played the piano in a duet with accordionist Boris Veksler. He made programs for Russian radio in New York called "Opening the curtain", in which he talked about meetings with interesting people.
In the USA, he wrote many new musical works, the author of dedications to Ada Rogovtseva and Raymond Pauls, wrote a series of dedications to the memory of Klaudia Shulzhenko, Leonid Utyosova, Edith Piaf, Marcel Marceau. Daughter Natalia (Slavuter) was engaged in music, now works in the tourism business, she has two sons. The composer's wife worked in the newspaper "New Russian Word", then in the library.
They organized a music salon, held creative meetings with musicians, singers, directors, actors, and journalists. They were visited by Lyudmila Lyadova, Tamara Miansarova, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Nani Bregvadze, Roman Viktyuk, Ada Rogovtseva, Bella Akhmadulina, Volodymyr Bystryakov, Mark Rozovskyi, Liya Glaz, Klara Novikova, Mykola Karachentsev, Volodymyr Vinokur, actors of the National Opera Theater — Tamara Tymoshko, Serhiy Pavlinov, Iryna Lapina, Georgy Horyushko, journalist, actor, playwright, writer and screenwriter Ihor Afanasyev, singers Iryna Vogelson and Victoria Lisina and many others. Toured all over America and Canada. He sang for the Russian and Ukrainian diaspora. He released a number of music CDs, among them "Footprints on the Earth", "Take off your hats, chansonnier...".
In 2003, Leonid Verbytskyi visited Kyiv and gave an interview to the Khreshchatyk newspaper.
Leonid Lazarovych Verbytskyi passed away on November 26, 2006 in New York. Buried at Mount Carmel (memorial).
Art
The author of the music for the play of the Kyiv Academic Theater in Russianof Lesya Ukrainka's drama "Warsaw Melody" (L. Zorina). This performance earned Ada Rogovtseva the title of People's Artist of the USSR.
Created music for cartoons:
"The Tigress in the Kettle" (1972)
"Why do Christmas trees have prickly needles" (1973)
"The Secret of Strawberry Country" (1973)
"The Legend of the Christmas Tree" (1973)
"The Green Pill" (1974)
"A story with a unit" (1975)
"Which spit do you want?" (1975)
"Umbrella at a Fashionable Resort" (1977)
Some songs:
"On the River" (1958) (Russian) — (ver. Oleksandr Vrataryov) — Zinaida Nevska
"There goes a girl" (1965) (Russian) (ver. Oleksandr Vrataryov) — Yulia Pashkovska
"Storks" (ver. Leonid Kovalchuk) — Tamara Miansarova
"You love - you don't love" (ver. Mykhailo Kuruts) - Tamara Miansarova
"Blue roses" [6] — (ver. Yuriy Erusalimskiy) — Maya Kristalinska
"Such Love" (ver. Oleksandr Vrataryov) — Valentyna Kuprina
"Kyiv is wonderful" - (ver. Ihor Barakh) - Valentyna Kuprin
