Lomakin, Gavriil Yakimovich

views updated

Lomakin, Gavriil Yakimovich

Lomakin, Gavriil Yakimovich, Russian singer, choral conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Borisk-ovka, April 6,1812; d. Gatchina, May 21,1885. At 10, he entered the choir of Count Sheremetev in St. Petersburg, where he received training in theory from Sapienza. In 1830 he became a singing teacher with the choir, and later was its director (1850-72). He also served as conductor of the court chapel (1848-59). With Balakirev, he established the Free Music School in 1862 and was head of the singing classes until 1870. He publ. a singing tutor (St. Petersburg, 1858; 3rd ed., 1882), and composed sacred songs and made choral arrangements of early Russian hymns.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire