P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Dustmuhammadov, Damir
Tajik composer Damir Vohidovich Dustmuhammadov was born in
Tashkent on August 6, 1941.
Dustmuhammadov graduated from the Dushanbe Institute of Dra-
matic Arts in 1963, and from the Moscow State Conservatory in 1970.
He served as the Secretary of the Union of Composers of Tajikistan, as
well as a teacher at the State Institute of Arts, and as the Director of the
Dushanbe Institute of Music. Until 1979, he was the Director of the
Aini State Theater for Opera and Ballet. In 1976, he became the Associ-
ate Chair of the Union of Composers of Tajikistan. In 1986, he became
the Head of the Union of Composers of Tajikistan. He became an As-
sistant Professor in 1991 in the Dushanbe Institute of Dramatic Arts,
and a full professor in 1998.

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Prominent Tajik Figures of the Twentieth Century

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Dustmuhammadov has created a noteworthy amount of materials for

contemporary music--operas, symphonies, quartets, and concerts using
various instruments. His contributions to opera include La'nat Kardai
Khalq (M. Farhat's Libretta, Cursed by the People, 1973), Modar
(Mother, 1968), Abadzinda (M. Farhat's poem, "Eternally Alive," 1969),
Modar-Zamin (M. Qano'at's poem, "Motherland," 1974), Ovozi Khalq
(M. Mirshakar's poem, "The Voice of the People," 1975). His more re-
cent contributions include "Idi Navruz" ("The Navruz Celebration"),
"Gularusak" ("The Flower Doll"), "Nishoni Oli Somon" ("The Emblem
of the Samanids"), "Farzandi in Millat Manam" ("I am the Offspring of
This Nation"), and "Surudi Anjumani Tojikoni Jahon" ("The anthem of
the Tajiks of the World").
Dustmuhammadov is the recipient of the Lenin Komsomol Prize for
Tajikistan in 1970 and the Rudaki State Prize. He is recognized as a
Distinguished Contributor to Art. He also received the Red Banner of
Courage.
He has traveled to Afghanistan, Malaysia, Finland, Senegal, India,
Pakistan, and Austria.