Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, born on March 20, 1873, in Semyonovo, Novgorod Province, and died on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, USA, was an outstanding Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. He combined elements of the St. Petersburg and Moscow schools of composition with Western European musical traditions, creating a unique style.

On February 21, 1917, Rachmaninoff's last performance in Petrograd took place at the Tenišev School concert hall. After the 1917 revolution, he accepted an invitation to perform in Stockholm and left Russia at the end of that year with his wife Natalia Alexandrovna and daughters Irina and Tatiana, leaving behind all his possessions and nearly without means.

Rachmaninoff spent most of his life in the USA, but from 1930 to 1940, he frequently visited Switzerland, where he built a villa "Senar" overlooking Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus. During this time, he actively toured Europe and performed at the Lucerne Festival. He was recognized as one of the greatest pianists and conductors of his time, although he conducted infrequently.

In 1941, Rachmaninoff completed his last work, the Symphonic Dances, which many consider his greatest creation and which he particularly valued. Despite his dislike for the Soviet regime and longing for old Russia, the news of Germany's attack on the USSR deeply affected him. During the Great Patriotic War, he held several concerts in the USA, donating all proceeds to the Red Army fund and urging other Russian émigrés to follow his example. One of the concerts was dedicated to the USSR Defense Fund, expressing hope for victory. Rachmaninoff passed away on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills.