Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Vyatka, Russia. He was the second oldest of six children and his father, Ilya, worked as a mine inspector and managed metal works. From a young age, Tchaikovsky showed an interest in music, starting piano lessons when he was just five years old, but his parents hoped he would pursue a career in civil service. At age 10, he entered the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg. His mother died when he was 14, and in 1859, he took a government job as a clerk for the MinistryofJustice,workingthereforfouryears. At 21, Tchaikovsky chose to study music seriously and began lessons with the Russian Musical Society. He then enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory as one of its first composition students and also taught private lessons. In 1863, he moved to Moscow and became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory. Throughout his early career, he balanced teaching with learning and composing music. Despite his growing success, he faced personal struggles due to societal pressures about his sexuality. In 1877, Tchaikovsky married Antonina Milyukova, a young music student, but the marriage was unhappy. He left his wife within weeks and experienced a nervous breakdown, even attempting suicide before leaving Russia for a time. Thanks to financial support from a wealthy widow, Nadezhda von Meck, he was able to quit his teaching position in 1878 and focus on his music while living off her monthly allowance. Despite their close connection, they agreed never to meet in person. Tchaikovsky died of cholera on November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg.