Igor Stravinsky

Composer

Birthday June 17, 1882

Birth Sign Gemini

Birthplace Lomonosov, Russia

DEATH DATE Apr 6, 1971 (88)

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About

Known for his Ballets Russes: "The Firebird" from 1910, "Petrushka" from 1911, and "The Rite of Spring" from 1913. He was regarded as a revolutionary who toyed with, crossed, and violated the traditionally held boundaries of musical design.

Before Fame

He enrolled in law school at his parents' behest, instead of immediately pursuing his musical dreams. However, he barely attended classes at the University of Saint Petersburg. He finally pursued a music career after the great Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov urged him to enlist in private composition lessons.

Trivia

He was stricken with typhoid after the premiere of "The Rite of Spring" and was forced to delay his travels while he recuperated in a Paris nursing home.

Family Life

He married Katherine Nossenko on January 23, 1906, and later married Vera de Bosset in 1940.

Associated With

He was greatly admired by Leopold Stokowski, who assumed a pseudonym under which Stokowski provided him with financial support.