Alexei Haieff (1914-1994) was a composer born in Russia who built his career in the United States. After early study in Europe, he became part of the American modernist scene and wrote with a compact, sharply focused musical language.

His works include symphonies, concertos, chamber music, piano pieces and ballets. He was championed by several major performers and conductors, and his music appeared in mid-century American orchestral programmes.

Haieff’s style is clear, concise and rhythmically alert, often described as neoclassical in outline. It favours lean textures and disciplined argument rather than late-Romantic fullness.

Although his name is now mostly specialist, Haieff belongs to the generation of émigré and American-based composers who shaped post-war concert life. His music has a bright, hard-cut profile, like glass catching studio light.