About Stepan Smolensky
Lived 1848 – 1909 (aged 60). Stepan Smolensky was a Russian composer, conductor, musicologist, choir director, university teacher and palaeographer.
Stepan Vasil'evich Smolensky (Russian: Сте́пан Васи́льевич Смоле́нский; 15 October 1848 – 1 August 1909) was a choir director and scholar of ancient Russian chant.
Smolensky was a graduate of the Faculties of Jurisprudence and Philology of Kazan University; during his studies, he had also taken private lessons on violin and piano. From the early 1870s he made a study of ancient church chant, publishing several books on znamenny chant and a catalogue of the musical manuscripts held in the library of the Solovetsky Monastery. his success in these posts resulted in his being appointed director of the Saint Petersburg Court Capella on 6/19 May 1901,
The 1915 choral composition All-Night Vigil, by Sergei Rachmaninoff, was dedicated to Smolensky.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Stepan Smolensky?
composer (1848–1909)
When was Stepan Smolensky born?
Stepan Smolensky was born on 20 October 1848 in Kazan.
When did Stepan Smolensky die?
Stepan Smolensky died on 2 August 1909 in Vasilsursk.
What was Stepan Smolensky's occupation?
Stepan Smolensky was a composer, conductor, musicologist, choir director, university teacher and palaeographer.
What nationality was Stepan Smolensky?
Stepan Smolensky was Russian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Stepan Smolensky. https://biography.guide/stepan-smolensky/
MLA: "Stepan Smolensky." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/stepan-smolensky/.
Chicago: "Stepan Smolensky." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/stepan-smolensky/.
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