A leading Romantic composer of 19th-century Russia. After graduating from law school and working as a civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, he enrolled in the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, embarking seriously on his musical career. He is known for masterfully blending Russia's unique national sentiment with the traditional formal beauty of Western Europe, becoming the first Russian composer to achieve international renown.

His hallmarks are his flowing, sweet melodies, familiar to all, and his dramatic, colorful orchestration. His major works include the three great ballets, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, as well as numerous symphonies, concertos, and operas.

On the other hand, he possessed a highly sensitive and nervous disposition, and in his private life, he endured much mental anguish, including struggles with his sexuality and a marriage that collapsed after only a few weeks.

Such inner despair and resistance to fate were sublimated into the deeply tragic musical expression found in works like his Symphony No. 6, 'Pathétique,' often considered his magnum opus.

He is also widely known for the unique episode of receiving substantial financial support for over 13 years from the wealthy widow Nadezhda von Meck, solely through correspondence and under the condition that they never meet in person, allowing him to dedicate himself entirely to composition.