Alexander Glazunov

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (10 August [O.S. 29 July] 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 and 1928 and was instrumental in the reorganization of the institute into the Petrograd Conservatory, then the Leningrad Conservatory, following the Bolshevik Revolution. He continued as head of the Conservatory until 1930, though he had left the Soviet Union in 1928 and did not return. The best-known student under his tenure during the early Soviet years was Dmitri Shostakovich.

Glazunov was born in Saint Petersburg, the son of a wealthy publisher. His father Konstantin was granted the status of hereditary nobility later, in 1882. He began studying piano at the age of nine and began composing at 11. Mily Balakirev, former leader of the nationalist group "The Five", recognized Glazunov's talent and brought his work to the attention of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. "Casually Balakirev once brought me the composition of a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old high-school student, Alexander Glazunov", Rimsky-Korsakov remembered.

Glazunov was a child prodigy and was admitted to the Saint Petersburg Conservatory at the age of 12. He studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and other leading composers of the day. In 1882, at the age of 16, he conducted his First Symphony, which was a huge success. Glazunov went on to compose a large body of work, including symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, chamber music, and songs. He was a master of melody and harmony, and his orchestration is often described as being "rich" and "colorful."

Glazunov was a leading figure in Russian music for over 50 years. He was a popular composer and conductor, and his music was performed all over the world. He was also a respected teacher, and his students included many of the leading composers of the 20th century. Glazunov was a major figure in the development of Russian music, and his music continues to be performed and enjoyed by audiences around the world.