A highly gifted pianist and composer, Taneyev was a protégé and champion of Tchaikovsky’s, serving as a soloist in early performances of the older composer’s piano concertos.

Taneyev was one of Russia’s most influential music theorists, teaching for nearly three decades at the Moscow Conservatory where his students included Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, and Glière; Stravinsky later recalled how highly he valued Taneyev’s treatise on counterpoint, calling it “one of the best books of its kind.” It is this very blend of rigorous counterpuntal techniques, brilliant orchestration and supreme compositional skill that gives Taneyev such a distinct voice, not only among his (more famous) contemporaries, but also among the next generation of composers.

In collaboration with Bard’s Fisher Center, ASO Online presents an exploration of the world of Russian composer Sergey Taneyev, including two of his most significant works and insight into his background and musical influences provided by our Music Director.