Balakirev, Mily Alekseyevich (1836-1910), a musician

Subject / Art/Personnel
BALAKIREV, Mily Alekseyevich (1836–1910), composer, pianist, conductor, public figure in music. In 1853 he graduated from Alexander Institute for students from nobility in Nizhny Novgorod. In the period 1853-54 he was an auditor student at the Department of Physics and Mathematics in Kazan University. Since 1856 he lived in St.Petersburg, where in the period 1856-62 he formed a group of amateur musicians “Moguchaya Kuchka” (“Mighty Handful”). In 1862 Balakirev together with G.Y. Lomakin founded a Free Musical School (in the periods 1868-73 and 1881-1908 – a head teacher), where Balakirev held symphony concerts. In the period 1867-69 he was the head of the St.Petersburg Branch of the Russian Music Society and at the same time he conducted its concerts. In the period 1883-94 Balakirev worked as a Director of the Imperial Chapel Choir. In the period 1890-1900s he composed a great number of music pieces. Since 1880s until his death Balakirev often stayed in Gatchina Town in the summer time. There he worked on symphonic poem “Tamara” (1882), he finished his Second Symphony (1908), composed music for W. Shakespeare’s tragedy ”King Lear” (1895–1909), etc. Balakirev was buried in St.Petersburg Tikhvin Cemetery in Alexander Nevsky Lavra (at present it is Necropolis of Masters of Arts). Kruzhnov, Yuri Nikolayevich
Balakirev, Mily Alekseyevich
Lomakin, Gavriil Yakimovich (Ioakimovich)
Shakespeare, William
Leningrad Oblast, the/Gatchina District/Gatchina Town
Милий Алексеевич Балакирев. Летопись жизни и творчества. Л., 1967
Зайцева Т. А. М. А. Балакирев. Истоки. СПб., 2000
Пирютко Ю.М. Гатчина. Л., 1975., C.83