On 01 April, 1873, Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was borne near Novgorod, Russia. Later, he took instruction in Moscow under Nikolay Zverov and under his, Rachmaninoff's, own cousin, Aleksandr Siloti. Siloti took instruction under Hungarian pianist-composer, Franz Liszt. Further, he took instruction under Anton Arensky, Sergey Taneyev, and Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, his most important mentor.

During the year 1897, Rachmaninoff's first symphony was performed. Its reception left much to be desired. From this disastrous event, Rachmaninoff decided to stop composing. From henceforward, he earned his living solely as a pianist and conductor. However, this would soon end. Three years later, he returned to composition withe his second piano concerto. He worked solely in Moscow--his two year period in Dresden, Germany, notwithstanding. Beginning in 1904, and lasting two years, he conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre.

In 1917, Rachmaninoff left Russia. He settled in the United States during the subsequent year. He made few compositions after the year 1917. Instead, he focussed on his piano and conducting careers. On 28 March, 1943, Rachmaninoff died in Beverly Hills, California.
 

Orchestral Music
 

SYMPHONIES: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor (marked his leave from composition, 1897); Symphony No. 2 in E Minor (1906); The Isle of the Dead (symphonic poem, 1909); The Bells (a choral symphony based on a poem by Edgar Allen Poe, 1913); Symphony No. 3 in A Minor (1936).
 

Piano Music
 

PIANO

CONCERTOS: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor (marked his return to composition, 1900) and Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Minor (1937).
 

PRELUDES: Prelude in C-sharp Minor (1892), for piano and orchestra.
 

VARIATIONS: Variation on a Theme of Corelli (1934); Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (19636).
 

Vocal Music
 

OPERAS: Aleko (1893).
 

OTHER VOCAL

WORKS: Trio élégiaque (in memory of Tchaikovsky, 1893) and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (1910).