Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (March 18, 1844 - June 21, 1908) was a Russian composer and professor, and member of the composer group The Big Five. 

Rimsky-Korsakov was born in to a Russian noble family, and young Nikolai began taking piano lessons when he was 6, but wasn't the most motivated student. There was a long line of military and naval service in his family, and he was destined for that (though he did start composing at 10 years old.) While studying at the School for Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, he took piano lessons, and began attending concerts, developing a great interest in music. He began taking lessons with  Théodore Canillé, in 1859; he studied both piano and composition, and credited Canillé with inspiring him to dedicate his life to composition. Canillé also introduced Rimsky-Korsakov to the composer Mily Balakirev, who in turn introduced him to César Cui and Modest Mussorgsky. Later on he befriended Alexander Borodin; they would make up the Big Five, and they collaborated on compositions in addition to critiquing each other's works. In 1871, Rimsky-Korsakov became a professor at Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and became well known for his brilliant abilities in orchestration.

Rimsky-Korsakov is by no means an obscure composer; he went on to write some of the most celebrated compositions by a Russian composer, such as Scheherezade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter Overture, and created a significant body of works.  With such a large output however, it's unsurprising that some of his works aren't as well known to the general public aas others. Certainly known among the brass world, but perhaps not as much outside it, is his Trombone Concerto. Written in 1877, this three movement work was composed for military band accompaniment (or piano).  The first movement displays the wide range of the instrument, with a spirited main theme. The second movement has a tender, sweet melody that highlights the lyrical and legato abilities of the instrument. A bugle call starts the third and final movement, and there's a fair amount of conversation between soloist and orchestra. The bugle call is repeated at the end again, but this time by the orchestra. The running time of this concerto is only about 10 minutes, but in that short amount of time, the range of the instrument and its myriad of capabilities as a solo instrument are on prominent display!

Here are some recordings of this wonderful work for you to enjoy!

Concertos
All the Lonely People