Nikolai Girshevich Kapustin (1937, Gorlovka – 2020, Moscow) was an outstanding Soviet and Russian composer and pianist. From the 1960s to the 1970s, he performed as a jazz pianist, including performances with Oleg Lundstrem’s orchestra. From the early 1980s, Kapustin focused primarily on composing.
In his works, Kapustin skillfully combined jazz elements, such as harmony, rhythm, and piano performance, with academic musical forms and principles. The impression of improvisation in his music is created thanks to a carefully worked‑out structure that is recorded in the sheet music. The composer wrote 20 piano sonatas, six concertos for piano and orchestra, as well as the cycle “24 Preludes and Fugues.” In addition, his creative legacy includes chamber and orchestral works.
