The Soviet choral conductor, teacher, musical and public figure was born in 1889, in the city of Kolomna, Moscow province.
From the age of 19 he worked as a regent and taught singing in Moscow schools.
In 1913, he graduated from the Music and Drama College of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, studied music theory with A.N. Koreshchenko, and also with B.L. Yavorsky at the Moscow People's Conservatory.
The largest representative of Russian choral culture, an outstanding interpreter and a subtle connoisseur of Russian and foreign classics
1921–1923
In 1921-1923, he was sent by the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR to Ukraine to fight against child homelessness
He helped create children's amateur choral activities, and led a choral chapel in Poltava.
Alexander Sveshnikov was a master of processing folk songs, but at the same time the choirs he led were characterized by a large repertoire range, which included many works of large forms.
Achievements
From a young age, A. Sveshnikov showed outstanding organizational skills. After the
October Revolution, in the period of building a new life, he quickly proved himself to be an excellent organizer of the musical process.
In 1923-1928 he became the head of the vocal section of the 2nd Moscow Art Theater Studio (artistic director I.N. Bersenev), at the same time he was one of the most famous church regents in Moscow.
Since 1928, he was the artistic director of the vocal ensemble (then the choir) of the All—Union Radio Committee organized by him,
in 1936-1937 the artistic director of the USSR State Choir, in 1937-1941 — the Leningrad Academic Chapel.
From 1942 he headed the State Russian Song Choir organized by him (later - the State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR, which bears his name).
In 1944, he organized and became the artistic director of the Moscow Choral School (later transformed into the Academy of Choral Art).
From 1944 to 1974 he taught at the Moscow Conservatory (1944-1948 Dean of the Conducting and Choral Faculty, from 1946 – professor, 1948-1974 – rector).
*1944-1948 Dean of the Faculty of Conducting and Choir,
since 1946 professor, 1948-1974 rector.
His recording of S.V. Rachmaninoff's “All-Night Vigil” is considered to be the standard one
Outstanding graduates of Alexander Vasilyevich Sveshnikov are A. Yurlov, V. Minin, A. Molodov, V. Rovda, B. Kulikov, S. Kalinin and others.
The chief conductor of a number of Moscow song festivals. Organizer and chairman of the All-Russian Choral Society, member of the jury of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in the field of vocal art (1966, 1970, 1974).
Hero of Socialist Labor (1970)
People's Artist of the USSR (1956)
Winner of the Stalin Prize (1946)
the State Prize of the RSFSR named after M.I. Glinka (1967).
choirmaster, artistic director and chief conductor of the Shenzhen «Golden Bell» Youth Choir, Director of the Chinese Branch of the World Association of Youth and Children's Choirs, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Children's Choirs of China, Vice President of the Guangdong Province Choirs Association, Vice Chairman of the Shenzhen Choral Association, winner of the national Award of China "Best Teacher"