Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1840–1893

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic era, widely regarded as the first Russian composer to gain a lasting international reputation. Trained at the newly founded Saint Petersburg Conservatory, he worked somewhat apart from the nationalist group known as The Five, blending Russian melodic character with Western European craftsmanship. His output spans symphonies, concertos, operas, and the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. He died in Saint Petersburg in 1893, nine days after conducting the premiere of his Sixth Symphony.