Turgun Alimatov is an eminent figure in 20th century Uzbek music. He was born in Tashkent in 1921, and has lived there all his life. His career as a musician began in 1939, and was connected to the musical theater and chiefly, to the Uzbek radio. Just two years ago, already an honored pensioner, he began to teach in the Eastern Music Department of the Tashkent Conservatory. In 1991 his first foreign appearance took place—in the United States—in connection with a tour of Uzbek musicians organized by the Asia Society. Before that, Turgun Alimatov only rarely went even as far as Moscow, usually for small recordings or to participate in various musical forums.