Come and explore the musical journey of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky!

Thanksgiving is approaching and it's the time of the year when we are thankful. This Thanksgiving, let's also take our time to thank and honor one of the most renowned composers of all time!

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, born in 1840, was one of the most influential and renowned Russian composers of all time. Tchaikovsky started taking piano lessons at five years old and quickly developed a passion and interest for music. Sixteen years later, Tchaikovsky found himself enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and later became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory where he started his composing journey. In 1865, Tchaikovsky published his first composition of Characteristics Dances along with a few others including First Symphony and Voyevoda. Although his works weren’t so popular at that time, Tchaikovsky continued to write and by 1874, published works such as Oprichnik and Second Symphony started bringing fame and praise to him. His most renowned pieces would come a few years later including the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky died in 1893 and there are multiple reasons to the cause of his death, however, his unparalleled masterpieces and his unique composing skills continued to inspire many musicians and young minds across the world.

Author: Alex Wang

Editor: Kevin Zhang