Alexander Glazunov

The Russian composer Alexander Glazunov was born on 10 August 1865 in St Petersburg to a wealthy family. He studied piano from the age of nine and composition at thirteen. Mily Balakirev spotted the boy's talent and introduced him to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who became his teacher. Glazunov wrote his first symphony at the age of sixteen, and Rimsky-Korsakov conducted it.

The young composer was taken up by M P Belyayev, who organised further performances, accompanied Glazunov to Western Europe and began performing and publishing the works of Glazunov and other Russian composers.

Glazunov became a professor (1899) and then director (1905) of the St Petersburg Conservatory, and by this time he was known internationally, conducting in Paris and receiving honorary doctorates from Cambridge and Oxford Universities in England.

He remained director of the conservatory until 1930, teaching Shostakovich (who recalled Glazunov's alcoholism), but left Russia in 1928, touring Europe and America before settling in Paris, where he died on 21 March 1936, aged seventy.

His works include eight symphonies (and an incomplete ninth), the symphonic poem Stenka Razin (1885), two concert waltzes, a violin concerto (1904), three ballets (including the popular Raymonda of 1898 and The Seasons of 1900) and seven string quartets.