Vladimir Nikolaevich Tsybin

Born in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, Russia in a family of a violonist and conductor of a small town orchestra. After moving to Moscow, boy's father soon died, and the 9 year old Vladimir was sent to a military orchestra, where he learned to play the flute and piccolo. At age 12 he entered the Moscow Conservatory where he studied flute with Wilhelm Kretschmann. He played in different orchestras and in 1896 entered Bolschoi Theater as a piccolo player. He held this position until 1907, when he became the soloist of the Mariinsky Theater in St.Petersburg. From 1910 to 1914 he studied composition and conducting in St.Petersburg Conservatory with Glazunov, Liadov and Tcherepnin. In 1914 he was appointed the professor of flute in St.Petersburg Conservatory. In 1920 he returned back to Moscow, where he founded a musical school with his wife in the suburb of the city (Pushkino). Soon after he re-entered Bolschoi Theater as a flute solo, and in 1923 was appointed the flute professor of the Moscow Conservatory, where he teached until the end of his life.
Vladimir Tsybin is considered to be the founder of the Russian flute school. His works for flute were composed between 1920 and 1949. A national flute competition carrying his name is held in Moscow each three years.