Born in Leningrad, Boris Tishchenko studied there, continuing his training as a composer under Shostakovich. He began teaching at the Leningrad/St Petersburg Conservatory in 1965.

Music
Tishchenko is a prolific composer in all genres. His stage works include opera, operetta and ballet, and his orchestral music seven symphonies, a Dante symphony called Beatrice, concertos for violin, for clarinet, for violin and piano with strings, for harp, and for cello. His vocal music includes songs and choral works, and he has written a quantity of chamber music and music for piano. His earlier style reflects that of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, modified and developed through Western influences.