Andrey Morgunov, a pioneer of Russian electronic music

The famous musician, producer and arranger Andrei Morgunov, who played a key role in the development of Russian electronic music, died on July 2, 2025 in the United States at the age of 62 after a long illness.

Andrei Morgunov was born on July 13, 1962 in Moscow into a musical family: his grandmother, Countess Maria Alekseeva, was an opera singer, his mother, Marina Mursalova, was also an opera singer, and his father, Leonard Morgunov, was an outstanding jazz trumpeter who once played in the Eddie Rosner Orchestra, and then taught for many years at the Gnessin Institute.

Morgunov’s musical talent appeared at an early age. He graduated from the music school and music school at the Moscow Conservatory, working in the pop orchestra of Gosteleradio, in the first composition of the group "Autograph", and then in VIA "Perpetual Engine", where he met Igor Kezley. As an arranger, he collaborated with Yuri Antonov.

In 1983, Morgunov, being one of the first in the USSR, mastered the musical computer, and already in 1984 formed the group "New Collection" together with Kezley, becoming one of the pioneers of Russian electronic music, using this instrument not only in the studio, but also on stage. The group was later joined by vocalist Lisa Surzhikova, and the "New Collection" began to be actively used in the TV programs "Vision" and "Before and After Midnight". The band worked in art rock and symphonic rock styles, and released two vinyl albums. The New Collection has become a touring group representing Russian culture abroad, performing in prestigious concert halls in Europe, Australia, Africa and America.

In 1988, after signing a contract with a German publishing company, Morgunov moved to West Germany, where for ten years he worked in music studios in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and other cities, recorded and released seven solo albums. In the United States, he continued to write and work in the studio, working in the cinema, and was the author of more than 250 works, soundtracks, and was a member of the American Association of Composers.