Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) was a Russian composer and pianist. He was born in Engels, the capital of the Volga-German Republic, to a Jewish-German father and a Volga-German mother. He received his first music education in Vienna, where the family lived from 1946 to 1948. Near Moscow, he continued his education and from 1953 to 1958 he studied counterpoint, composition and instrumentation at the Moscow Conservatory. Between 1962 and 1972, he himself taught instrumentation at that institution. From the 1970s, Schnittke devoted himself entirely to composing, making a living mainly by writing many dozens of film music scores. Schnittke composed in a wide variety of styles, often within a single work, and his approach has been called 'polystylistic'. In addition to film music, his extensive oeuvre includes nine symphonies, six concerti grossi, concertos for violin, cello and piano among others, chamber music, solo works, ballets and choral music. The first of his three operas, Life with an Idiot, premiered in Amsterdam in 1992, conducted by Rostropovich. 

After the success of Concerto grosso No 1 (1977) Schnittke's popularity soared in Europe and the United States. He received numerous awards, including the Austrian State Prize in 1991, the Bach Prize of the City of Hamburg in 1992 and the Russian Culture Prize in 1993. His music has appeared on more than 50 CDs and is performed all over the world. Since the mid-1980s, Schnittke struggled with poor health and was struck by stroke several times. From 1990, he lived in Hamburg, where he died on 3 August 1998.