Isaak Osipovich Dunayevsky, born on January 30, 1900, in Lokhvytsia, Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), was a prominent Soviet composer and conductor renowned for his work in film and operetta during the 1930s and 1940s. He hailed from a Jewish family and demonstrated musical talent from an early age, studying violin and music theory at the Kharkiv Musical School and later graduating from the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts in 1919.

Initially a violinist and orchestra leader, Dunayevsky transitioned to conducting and moved to Moscow in 1924 to manage the Theatre Hermitage. By 1929, he was working with the Moscow music hall and collaborating with Leonid Utesov. His career flourished in Leningrad as the director and conductor of the Saint Petersburg Music Hall before returning to Moscow to focus on operettas and film music.

Dunayevsky was a pioneer in incorporating jazz into Soviet music and composed for significant films of the Stalinist era, including "Jolly Fellows," "Circus," and "Volga-Volga," directed by Grigori Aleksandrov. His prolific output includes 14 operettas, 3 ballets, numerous songs, and music for 42 films. Notable works include the operettas "The Golden Valley" and "The Free Wind," and the film scores for "Circus" and "The Kuban Cossacks."

He was honored as a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1950 and received the Stalin Prize twice. Dunayevsky passed away from a heart attack in Moscow on July 25, 1955. His unfinished operetta "White Acacia" was completed posthumously. His legacy includes a vast array of compositions and a pioneering role in Soviet music, with contributions that remain influential.