Trinity Laban Reader in Music & Cultural Practice and Programme Leader Dr Christina Guillaumier published an “absorbing, wide-ranging, and incisive” biography of celebrated composer Sergei Prokofiev with Reaktion Books. Christina’s Sergei Prokofiev has been awarded a Certificate of Merit in the 2025 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in the category Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music.
“The author’s most attractive quality is this determination to view Prokofiev on his own terms, avoiding the kind of fashionable posturing she insists the composer himself despised,” wrote David Gutman for Gramophone in his book review of Sergei Prokofiev. Christina’s biography unfolds the life and work of the much-loved twentieth-century composer Sergei Prokofiev, revealing a surprisingly optimistic spirit amid a tumultuous backdrop of geopolitical chaos and ever-shifting musical landscapes.
The narrative weaves through Prokofiev’s intricate existence, depicting a life coloured by pathos and intersecting with a myriad of characters. Christina breathes life into the people and landscapes that shaped Prokofiev’s journey, capturing the unwavering passion of a musical genius whose love for his craft transcended all barriers. This new account is a vivid portrait of resilience, offering a fresh perspective on Prokofiev’s indomitable spirit.