Composer, born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia. He began as a civil servant, joined the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1862, and moved to Moscow in 1865. There he became known for his operas, Second Symphony, and First Piano Concerto. After an unsuccessful marriage, he retired to the country to devote himself to composition, making occasional visits abroad. Among his greatest works are the ballets Swan Lake (1876--7), The Sleeping Beauty (1890), and The Nutcracker (1892), the last three of his six symphonies, two piano concertos, and several tone poems, notably Romeo and Juliet and Capriccio Italien.