Early life and education Levko Mykolayovych Revutsky was born on in
Irzhavets,
Priluksky Uyezd of the
Poltava Governorate (presently in the
Chernihiv Oblast) in
Ukraine). His father was a trustee of a rural school. The parents of the future composer were well-educated. His musical talent showed up very early and his mother began to teach young Revutsky to play the piano when he hardly was five years old. By age ten, he showed skill at improvisation and had
perfect pitch, earning him the nickname "
Tuning fork". In 1903, his parents transferred Revutsky to
Kiev's Gotlib Valker
gymnasium and simultaneously the music school of Mykola Tumanovsky where he studied
fortepiano with
Mykola Lysenko. Revutsky later recalled, "Lysenko became for me the first example of artistic ideals." Graduating from the gymnasium in 1907, he entered the physic-mathematics faculty of
Kiev University. In 1908, Revutsky also entered law school and at the same time renewed piano classes at the Kiev music college run by the
Russian Musical Society. He was greatly impressed by visits to
Moscow and
Saint Petersburg where he attended the theatre and concerts. In three years of studies in the premiere course of the school Revutsky had considerable successes. In 1911 he graduated to the higher level in the class of G. Hodorovsky. Revutsky's studies in the class of this master lasted a few years: from 1911 to 1913 year in musical school, and afterwards in the newly opened Kiev conservatory. In the conservatory, Revutsky simultaneously with his piano studies begins to visit
Glière's composition classes. He continued his university studies. The first part of piano sonata (in C minor), sketches for the first symphony, and the prelude of opus four were created at this time. Revutsky graduated from both the university and conservatory in 1916, and went to fight in
World War 1.
Post graduate work Demobilized in 1918, Revutsky moved to
Pryluky. In 1924, Revutsky was invited to Kiev to work as a teacher at the
Lysenko Music-Drama Institute. From this time he gave himself to pedagogical work, initially as teacher, and then as professor of music-theory and performance and composition . In the 1930s Revutsky had considerable achievements as a composer. In addition, he created his music-pedagogical systems. For his merits in the field of culture Revutsky received the title of
People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1942, and in 1944
People's Artist of the USSR. In the post-war period he participated in a renewal of artistic-cultural life of the Republic. From 1944 to 1948 he headed the
Composers Union of Ukraine. Revutsky was also elected by the deputy of
Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR to a number of convocations. In 1950, he undertook the enormous task of editing and preparing Mykola Lysenko's works for publication. In February 1969, in connection with his 80th birthday and for creative merit Levko Revutsky was awarded the title of
Hero of Socialist Labor. He died on 30 March 1977 in Kiev, and is buried in
Baikove Cemetery. ==Legacy==