Mily Balakirev

Russian composer, pianist, conductor, head of the "Могучая кучка" / "Mighty Handful" / "The Five"
Born: January 2, 1837 (December 21, 1836 O.S.), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Empire
Died: May 29 (16 O.S.), 1910, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire

Best known for his nationalistic compositions and his support of and influence on other composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Alexander Borodin, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.