Glazunov, a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov, also received encouragement from Belyayev, an influential patron and publisher.

In his earlier years Glazunov was associated with the group of Russian nationalist composers, the Mighty Handful.

He became a tutor at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire in 1899 and, after the student protests and turmoil of 1905, he was appointed director of the institution.

He held this post until 1930, although from 1928 he remained abroad, chiefly in Paris, where he died in 1936.

Glazunov completed nine symphonies all of which reflect the temperament of the Russian school.

He wrote a Violin Concerto, completed in 1904, when he was at the height of his powers as a composer.

His tone poem "Stenka Razin", written in 1885, retains a place in national repertoire.

Glazunov's ballets include Raymonda, first staged in St. Petersburg in 1898, with choreography by Marius Petipa, Les ruses d'amour followed in 1900, with The Seasons in the same year, a ballet adopted by Pavlova.

He orchestrated music by Chopin for Les sylphides.