Sergei Prokofiev

Quick Facts

Russian composer, conductor and pianist
one of the major composers of the 20th century
born in part of the Russian Empire, now Ukraine
as a child prodigy, wrote his first piano piece at age 5 and opera at age 9
at age 13, studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory (was several years younger than other students)
toured the U.S. and Europe playing the piano
wrote in many musical genres, including film music; favorite genre was opera, the most successful of which was “The Love for Three Oranges.”
wrote the well-known children’s symphonic story, Peter and the Wolf