Who was Sergei Rachmaninoff?

                Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (April 1, 1873 –  March, 28, 1943) was 

        a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the late Romantic period.  

        The influence of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, and 

        other Russian composers is seen in his early works, later giving way to a personal 

        style notable for song-like melodicism, expressiveness and rich orchestral colors.

                Born into a musical family, Rachmaninoff took up the piano at the age of four. 

        He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, having already composed 

        several piano and orchestral pieces.  In 1897, following the negative critical reaction 

        to his Symphony No. 1, Rachmaninoff entered a four-year depression and composed 

        little until successful therapy allowed him to complete his enthusiastically received 

        Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1901.  In the course of the next sixteen years, Rachmaninoff 

        conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre, relocated to Dresden, Germany, and toured the 

        United States for the first time.  Rachmaninoff often featured the piano in his compos- 

        itions, and he explored the expressive possibilities of the instrument through his own 

        skills as a pianist.

                Following the Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff and his family left Russia. 

        They settled in New York City in 1918. With his main source of income coming 

        from piano and conducting performances, demanding tour schedules led to a re-

        duction in his time for composition.  Between 1918 and 1943, he completed just 

        six works, including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No. 3, Piano 

        Concerto No. 4, and Symphonic Dances.  By 1942, his failing health led to his 

        relocation to Beverly Hills, California.  One month before he died from melanoma, 

        Rachmaninoff was granted American citizenship.