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Sergei Rachmaninoff
Composing sweeping piano concertos and performing as one of the great pianists of his era.
Piano Concerto No. 2 · Piano Concerto No. 3
- Born
- 1 April 1873
- Birthplace
- Novgorod region, Russia
- Died
- 28 March 1943
More people
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. After leaving Russia in 1917, he relied heavily on international performance and composed a smaller number of late works.
Early life
Early piano lessons
Began learning piano as a child before entering formal musical education in Saint Petersburg.
Moscow training
Studied at the Moscow Conservatory, developing as both a pianist and composer.
Career
- 1892
Conservatory graduation
Completed his composition studies with the opera Aleko.
- 1901
Creative recovery
The success of his Second Piano Concerto followed a difficult period after the reception of his First Symphony.
- 1917 onward
Exile and touring
Left revolutionary Russia and built an international career as a concert pianist.
Selected work
Piano Concerto No. 2
A lyrical concerto that became one of his best-known works.
Piano Concerto No. 3
An expansive and technically demanding concerto premiered in New York.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Piano and orchestra explore variations on a violin theme.
Beyond work
Family in exile
Built new homes with his wife Natalia and their daughters after leaving Russia.
American citizenship
Became a United States citizen shortly before his death in California in 1943.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Kubey-Rembrandt Studios (Philadephia, Pennsylvania). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
