Alexander Tcherepnin was born on January 21, 1899, in St. Petersburg, Russia. He came from a family of musicians and learned from his father, Nikolay Tcherepnin, a conductor and composer who studied with Rimsky-Korsakov. Their home was a meeting place for many famous musicians and artists. Alexander showed his talent early, writing an opera, a ballet, and several piano pieces by the age of 14. In 1918, his family moved to Tbilisi, where he continued his studies at the music conservatory and performed as both pianist and conductor. In 1921, due to political changes, the family left Russia and settled in Paris. There, Alexander finished his studies with Paul Vidal and Isidor Philipp. He co-founded L'Ecole de Paris, a group of foreign composers interested in neoclassical music and the music of their home countries. He made his Western debut in London in 1922, and in 1923, his ballet Ajanta's Frescoes was performed at Covent Garden. In 1926, he began a professional tour in America, but in 1927 in Paris he gained fame after his first symphony premiered, noted for its unusual use of percussion. Between 1934 and 1937,he,he,he,he,he,hehethumbhe,he,he,,,,,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,,,,,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,henteredeyhe,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,he,,,,,,,,the,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthe,y,sthey,y,sthey,y.sthey,yely,yely,yely,yely,yely,yely,yely.yely.yely.yely.y. Alexander spent time teaching in Tokyo and started a music publishing company to help his students. He met and married pianist Lee Hsien Ming in Shanghai. After returning to France in 1938, World War II limited his work. In 1948, he moved to the United States to teach at De Paul University in Chicago and became an American citizen in 1958. From 1964 until his death in 1977, he divided his time between Paris and New York. In 1967, he was invited by the Soviet government to tour his native country.