A Look at the Life of Composer Igor Stravinsky

Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., is a Maryland-licensed psychologist with more than four decades of experience. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has developed a deep appreciation for symphonic music, including the works of Igor Stravinsky.

1. A Look at the Life of Composer Igor Stravinsky Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D.

2. Introduction Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., is a Maryland-licensed psychologist with more than four decades of experience. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Uzi Ben-Ami, Ph.D., has developed a deep appreciation for symphonic music, including the works of Igor Stravinsky. Born in 1882, Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky grew up near Saint Petersburg, Russia. His father was a leading operatic bass, but despite the household's musical activities, Stravinsky trained in law. At the age of 20, he shifted his focus to music and began training under the composer Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov.

3. Igor Stravinsky Having caught the eye of impresario Serge Diaghilev, Stravinsky wrote The Firebird, which was performed at the Paris Opera in 1910, and quickly acquired international stardom for his mix of Romanticism and orchestral prowess. In 1913, he released the work he is likely best known for, The Rite of Spring, which had a modern, at times dissonant, tone that prompted audience members to argue, protest, and cheer during its debut. This began a long career of writing musical compositions that would influence symphonic music for decades. Notably, Stravinsky dramatically changed the style of his music after World War II, in response to 12-tone compositional techniques. Stravinsky continued to produce music into his 80s and died in 1971.