Dunayevsky studied at the Kharkiv Musical School in 1910 where he studied violin under Joseph Achron (1886-1943). During this period he started to study the theory of music under Semyon Bogatyrev (1890-1960). He graduated in 1919 from the Kharkiv Conservatory. At first he was a violinist, the leader of the orchestra in Kharkiv. Then he started a conducting career. In 1924 he went to Moscow to run the Theatre Hermitage. After that he worked in Leningrad (1929-1941) as a director and conductor of the “Music-Hall” (1929-1934) and then moved to Moscow to work on his operettas and film music.

He was named a People’s Artist of the USSR (1950) and was awarded the USSR State Prize (twice in 1941, 1951), two orders, and many medals (for instance, the Order of the Red Labour Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and the Badge of Honour).

His brother Semyon (1906-1986) was a conductor, another brother Zinovy (1908-1981) was a composer.

Dunayevsky was married twice. He had a son Yevgeny (b. 1932) by his wife Zinaida Sudeikina, and another son Maksim (b. 1945) by his lover, the ballerina Zoya Pashkova. Maksim was also a well-known composer, and continues the traditions of his father in musicals and operettas.

He died of a heart attack. His last piece, the operetta “White Acacia” (1955), was left unfinished at his death, and it was completed by Kirill Molchanov and staged on November 15, 1955, in Moscow.

A previously unknown opera libretto “Rachel” (1943) by Mikhail Bulgakov, was later found in his archive. The libretto was based on Guy de Maupassant’s Mademoiselle Fifi. Published in a book by Naum Shafer (see references and links below).

A book of his essays and memoirs was published after his death, in 1961.