Dmitry Shulgin (1944–2017) was a Russian musicologist and music theorist, professor at the Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov State Musical Pedagogical Institute. His research focused on twentieth-century composers, and he published books, teaching materials, articles, dictionaries, and methodological works.
Shulgin graduated from the Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov Moscow City Music College in 1966, where he studied music theory with Andrei Myasoyedov. In 1971 he completed the theory and composition faculty at the Moscow Conservatory, studying with Yuri Kholopov. He later completed postgraduate study there and, in 1996, defended his dissertation, “Theoretical Foundations of Modern Harmony.”
He taught theoretical subjects in Elektrostal from 1965 to 1970 and at the Kalinin Music College from 1971 to 1973. From 1973, he taught harmony, musical analysis, and solfège at the Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov Moscow City Music College. From 1995, he taught courses including the history and practice of world jazz, harmony, solfège, and modern composition at the State Musical Pedagogical Institute. He later held professorships in musicology and composition, and in music theory.
Shulgin’s books include “A Guide to Aural Harmonic Analysis,” “Theoretical Foundations of Modern Harmony,” “The Recognition of Edison Denisov,” and studies of Alfred Schnittke, Viktor Ekimovsky, and Alexander Vustin. He also wrote teaching programs and methodological works on solfège, harmony, and modern composition, and composed several musical works. He died on December 11, 2017.