Andrey Petrov (1930-2006) was born in Leningrad. In 1954 he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire, where he studied composition at professor O. A. Yevlakhov’s class. Among the titles he was awarded were the laureate of State USSR Prizes (1967, 1976), Russia (1996), Russia President’s Prize (1990), People’s artist of the USSR (1990). The cinematographic prizes were the ''Nika'' (1992) and ''Golden Ram'' (1995). Having become the chairman of the Leningrad Composers’ Union in 1964 he headed it till the last days of his life, while in 1992 he started the activity of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society’s president. Andrey Petrov was the Honoured Citizen of St. Petersburg. The planet discovered in 1994 was given his name.
The world of Andrey Petrov’s music is lucid and constant. It’s accepted as diatonic and consonant one. Meanwhile the range of his phonations is wide, so as the amplitude of his partialities - genres and styles. He rules them according to the right of a musicia n, living on the crossroads of the Ages and continents: from Bach to jazz, from the Russian chants to sonority.
His main objective is the Universal harmony, this classic model of the romantic obstinacy.
Petrov’s adherence to romantic tradition during the last years is accepted as some creative testament. However, it’s something else with Petrov. Although the musician’s age was rather mature, his death was unexpected. He passed away in the prime of his life. Hence this imagined glance of farewell is rather delicate, deprived of mentorship. After all, both the ''Creation'' and Music to the film ''Beware of the Car'' may be called Andrey Petrov’s poetical testament. Nevertheless, these are exactly two published opuses and the ''Cloudberry'' to Nikolai Rubtsov’s verses to crown this large-scale heritage of the distinguished Russian composer.

Symphony-phantasia ''Farewell to”'' was composed by Andrey Petrov during the winter of 2004-2005. The ''Fantasias'' was its initia