Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (Russian:Дми́трий Дми́триевич Шостако́вич, tr.Dmitriy Dmitrievich Shostakovich, pronounced[ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ˈdmʲitrʲɪɪvʲɪtɕ ʂəstɐˈkovʲɪtɕ]; 25 September 1906–9 August 1975) was a Soviet composer and pianist, and a prominent figure of 20th-century music.