
Luckardt F (Vienne) · Public domain
Nikolai Rubinstein
Russian pianist, conductor and composer
1835 – 1881aged 45
A Russian pianist, conductor, and composer who, alongside his brother Anton, helped build Russia's classical music infrastructure in the nineteenth century rather than leaving the country's concert life dependent on touring foreigners. He was a close friend and early champion of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, conducting the premieres of several of his works even after famously criticizing his First Piano Concerto.