Alexandre Konstantinovich Glazounov, born in 1865 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, was a composer and conductor. He began studying piano at age nine and composing at eleven. His talent was recognized by Mili Balakirev, who introduced him to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Glazounov's first symphony, composed when he was 16, received praise from Borodin and Stasov. In the early 1890s, Glazounov experienced a creative crisis but emerged with new maturity, writing three symphonies, two string quartets, and a ballet. He was appointed director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1905 and resigned in 1930. His notable works from this period include his Eighth Symphony and Violin Concerto. Glazounov directed the last of the Historical Russian Concerts in Paris on May 17, 1907, and received honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Oxford and Cambridge universities. Glazounov died on March 21, 1936, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
