Alexei Stanchinsky

Biography

Alexei Vladimirovich Stanchinsky (Russian: Алексей Владимирович Станчинский; 9 March (OS) / 21 March 1888 – 25 September (OS) / 6 October 1914) was a composer from the Russian Empire.

From a young age Stanchinsky was a gifted musician, composing and performing his first works at the age of six years. At the age of 16, he continued to develop his skills by taking lessons from music educators such as Josef Lhévinne and Konstantin Eiges for piano, and Nikolai Zhilyayev and Alexander Gretchaninov for counterpoint, harmony, and composition. At the age of 19, Stanchinsky entered the Moscow Conservatory to continue his musical studies with Taneyev and Igumnov to assist his musical growth.

Stanchinsky had always shown great promise as a musician even at a young age, but was often viewed as “unstable” and a victim of his own nerves. This became very prominent when his father died in 1910, as Alexei became quite delusional and suffered from this state for many years. After a brief hiatus from music, Stanchinsky returned to his roots by gathering folk tunes for a personal collection and eventually returned to the conservatory life-style by studying with his colleagues again. However, his life would never again be what it was. In October 1914, he was found dead next to a stream near Logachyovo after wandering the countryside. His death is still a mystery, as details were never revealed about his last days.

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