Remembered for his symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia; his Symphony No. 2 in B minor; his String Quartets no. 1 & 2; and his operatic work Prince Igor, this nineteenth-century Romantic composer belonged to a prominent circle of Russian nationalist composers known as "The Five." While writing music, he studied at St. Petersburg's Medical Surgical Academy. His early compositions include an 1850 piano trio and an 1852 vocal music piece titled "Why Did You Grow Pale Early?"
