Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky did not begin studying music seriously until the age of 22. Until then, he had only taken a few piano lessons. Afger graduating from preparatory school, he became a clerk in the Russian Ministry of Justice. While working for the government, he wrote a song, and began considering music as a career. At 22, he left his job and entered the musical conservatory of St. Petersburg, Russia, where he studied composition and orchestration. Upon graduation from the conservatory, he moved to Moscow, Russia, and became an instructor of music theory at the Moscow Conservatory. This position allowed him to continue composing. Tchaikovsky completed his first symphony in 1868 (age 28) and his first opera a year later. Both were successful with Russian audiences. He also began writing music for ballets. In 1878, he married his wife, Antonina, but the marriage was a failure and he soon left her.

After Tchaikovsky's marriage failed, a wealthy widow, Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck, began supporting him financially. This enabled him to leave his teaching position and devote full-time to composing. It also allowed him to travel to the musical capitals of Europe. Madame von Meck supported Tchaikovsky for 13 years on one condition: that he never attempt to meet her. For the first few years, Tchaikovsky composed much music, but from 1881 to 1888, he traveled extensively and wrote very little. In 1888 (age 48) the Russian government recognized Tchaikovsky's talents and gave him an annual salary for life. He then spent two years touring Europe as an orchestral conductor. In 1890, Madame von Meck ended her fnancial support. Although Tchaikosky no longer neded the money, he was greatly hurt by this; he felt that his greatest supporter had abandonded him.

Tchaikovsky made an extended visit to the United States in 1891 (age 51). He conducted an orchestral preformance of one of his most famous works, the 1812 Overture, at the grand opening of Carnegie Hall in New York City. He found the United States exciting, both musically and intellectually. When he returned to Russia, however, he was once aain depressed over the loss of support forom Madame von Meck. He died in St. Petersburg during a cholera epidemic. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a vain man.He aganized over his music. He always had the feeling that it was never good enough and that the audience would not like it. He alternated between peiods of writing and traveling. When he was writing, he had a daily routine: he would work from 9:30 to 11:00 in the morning, have a lunch, take a walk, and work again from 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening before dinner. He relied upon the financial support of others to allow him to spend his time writing music. Without that support Tchaikovsky might have spent his entire career as an instructor at the Moscow Conservatory. To listen to an excerpt of the famous Nutcracker, go to the Visual and Audio pages.