NVYO March 8th concert: Meet Modest Mussorgsky!

Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky was a member of “The Five," a group of Russian composers known for their efforts to create a unique Russian identity through music. When Modest was young, he learned of the Russian fairy tales from his nurse, sparking a catalyst for his nationalistic approach to composition. Modest Mussorgsky took his first piano lessons at the age of six with his mother, and was performing in public at the age of nine. In August of 1849, Mussorgsky continued his piano lessons while training for the military at the Cadet School of the Imperial Guards in St. Petersburg. Upon graduation in 1856, Mussorgsky entered into the Imperial Guards Regiment in St. Petersburg where he met several other Russian composers including his composition teacher, Mily Balakirev. A number of trials, including the loss of his parents and his family's estate, as well as Balakirev's rejection of some of his music, contributed to Mussorgsky’s battle with depression, anxiety, and alcoholism, ultimately leading to his death shortly after his 42nd birthday.