Anton Grigoriewicz Rubinstein

Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894) – a Russian pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. He was regarded as one of the greatest virtuosi of his times. In 1859, he founded the Russian Music Society in St Petersburg, and in 1862 the Conservatory, of which he was director in the years 1862–1867 and 1887–1890. As a teacher, he initiated a school of playing that bore a considerable influence over the development of pianism. His compositional output, influenced by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Chopin and Liszt, includes symphonic and chamber works, as well as music for the stage. He possessed a rich pianistic repertoire, ranging from Bach to contemporary composers.