string orchestra

Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Jan. 6, 1872 - April 27, 1915) was a composer and pianist, born in Moscow to a Russian noble family. He was exposed to the piano at a young age, as his mother was a concert pianist. He went on to serve as a military attaché, and later attended the Moscow Conservatory, studying both piano and composition...

Giovanni Bottesini (Dec. 22, 1821 - July 7, 1889) was an Italian conductor, composer, and double bass virtuoso, born in to a musical family. Young Bottesini learned much about music from his father, a clarinetist, and was playing timpani with an orchestra at the tender age of 11. He also played violin, and intended to study at the Milan Conservatory...

Arthur William Foote (March 5, 1853 - April 8, 1937) was an organist and composer, and a member of the "Boston Six", a group of composers from New England that lived in the late 19th century and early 20th century, that also included Amy Beach, George Whitefield Chadwick, Edward MacDowell. John Knowles Paine, and Horatio Parker. Foote graduated from Harvard, and was the first composer of note to be trained entirely in the United States. Continue reading →

Charles Wakefield Cadman (Dec. 24, 1881 - Dec. 30, 1946) was an American composer, pianist, and music critic trained entirely in America.  Continue reading →

Josef Suk (Jan. 4, 1874 - May 29, 1935) was a Czech composer and violinist. He began his musical training at an early age, learning the violin, organ, and piano from his father. Suk went on to study composition at the Prague Conservatory, with his most famous teacher being Antonin Dvořák, and the two became close, trusted friends. Suk ended up marrying Dvořák's  daughter, Otilie. Continue reading →