Sergei Diaghilev

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was born on March 19, 1872, into a wealthy noble family in Novgorod, Russia. His father, Pavel Diaghilev, was a distinguished General to the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. His mother died in childbirth but he grew up in a highly cultured environment. He studied piano and singing from the early age.He also took lessons in painting at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, and studied music with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. From 1891-96, Diaghilev studied law and graduated from the Law Department of the St. Petersburg University. There he developed a life-long friendship with his fellow law student Alexandre Benois. They formed a circle of artists and art connoisseurs known as 'Mir Iskusstva' (World of Art). From 1898-1904 he founded and edited the influential art magazine "Mir Iskusstva" (The World of Art). From 1899-1901, Diaghilev was a special artistic adviser to the Imperial Directorship of Theatres and to Mariinsky Theater in St.... [Details Intro]