Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Although he studied the piano in early life, Rimsky-Korsakov spent several years in the Russian navy before taking up composition. In 1861 he was introduced to the composer Mily Balakirev, who invited him to join the "Mighty Handful", a group of five composers whose chosen task was the creation of "real Russian music". in 1871 he was appointed professor of composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and both here and in his other teaching appointments he exerted tremendous influence on such apprentice composers as Respighi and Stravinsky. Later appointments included Inspector of Naval Bands and director of the the Free School of Music in St. Petersburg and of the city's Russian Symphony Concerts. As a conductor, he received invitations from all over Europe (notably from Paris in 1907) and died on returning home from a tour in 1908. In addition to his 14 operas (including Sadko and The Golden Cockerel), Rimsky-Korsakov is noted above all as a brilliant orchestrator whose gifts were lavished not only on his own works but also on many of those by Mussorgsky that were left unfinished at this death in 1881.