Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period, renowned for his ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, as well as his 1812 Overture and other concert and theatrical music. Despite a musically gifted childhood, he trained for civil service before entering the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Tchaikovsky's work, bridging Western and Russian musical traditions, made a lasting international impact. His life, however, was marred by personal crises, depression, a failed marriage, and the controversy surrounding his death at 53.