Biography
Nikolai Medtner — composer with roots in the Russian Empire
Nikolai Medtner was a Russian composer and pianist, born in Moscow to parents of German origin, who studied at the Moscow Conservatory. He emigrated after the Revolution and in the winter of 1935/36 settled in England; he died in 1951. Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote to him that he was 'the greatest composer of our time'.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Moscow
Born in Moscow on 5 January 1880 (24 December 1879 O.S.) to parents of German origin, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1891 to 1900. He later emigrated and in the winter of 1935/36 settled in England.
Family Tree
Subject
Nikolai Medtner🇬🇧 UK
↑
Self (Born there)
-
↑
Origin
Moscow🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
.svg?width=900)
Moscow. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Composed 3 piano concertos, 14 piano sonatas, and extensive solo repertoire
02
Rachmaninoff called him 'the greatest composer of our time'
03
Settled in England in the winter of 1935/36
04
Recorded for HMV under the patronage of the Maharaja of Mysore
05
Medtner Society founded in London in 1949, during his lifetime
Sources