Sergei Rachmaninoff — composer with roots in the Russian Empire
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, conductor, and pianist born near Novgorod who became one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. His Second Piano Concerto, Second Symphony, and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini are among the most beloved works in the classical repertoire. He spent the last 25 years of his life in exile in the United States.
Tracing the roots — Novgorod
Born Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff in Semyonovo (Novgorod Governorate, Russian Empire) in 1873 to an aristocratic Russian family, he trained at the Moscow Conservatory and built his career in Russia before the Revolution destroyed his world. He left Russia in 1917 and never returned, carrying within him a Russia that no longer existed.
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Novgorod. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
A career defined by ambition
"Music is enough for a whole lifetime — but a lifetime is not enough for music."