Mikhail Ivanovich Chulaki (Russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Чула́ки, also transliterated as Tchulaki and Tschulaki) (November 19 [O.S.
November 6] 1908 in Simferopol – January 29, 1989 in Moscow) was a Soviet Russian composer and teacher.
He studied under the composer Vladimir Shcherbachov at the Leningrad Conservatory, graduating in 1931.
[1] He held administrative and teaching positions, including at the Leningrad Conservatory (1933–1941, 1944–1948), and taught composition at the Moscow Conservatory (from 1948):[1] among his composition pupils was the 15-year-old Mstislav Rostropovich, whom Chulaki did much to support both materially and as an artist.
[2] While in that post, he gave Rostropovich his first major break as a conductor, inviting him to conduct Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.