Balakirev received a call from a young composer in 1861. This young composer was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov who was born in 1844 in Tikhvin. His father was a civil governor. Rimsky- Korsakov grew up listening to the folk music of his family and the music of the monastery which was near his house. Rimsky-Korsakov first learned to play the piano at age eleven. (Suzanne Massie, 351)  He first heard an orchestra when he was fifteen, and was attending the Naval Academy.  Rimsky-Korsakov was in the Naval Academy from 1856-1862 which was located in St. Petersburg.  Balakirev encouraged the young naval officer to start composing his first symphony; however in 1862 he had to go on a three year cruise with the imperial navy. During this time across the seas he composed his first symphony. (Suzanne Massie,  340)
 
    In 1871 Rimsky-Korsakov was invited to join the faculty of the St. Petersburg conservatory. Rimsky-Korsakov did not want initially to accept the appointment, because he felt that he did not know enough about the theory of music. Since Rimsky-Korsakov had no formal training he had to teach himself all of the musical theory that he needed to teach to his students.

“Rimsky became a professor of music while still retaining his commission in the navy. He stayed up all night studying, struggling to keep ahead of his students. ‘I had to pretend I knew everything and understood their problems, and at the same time glean information from my pupils without letting them know…..By the time they had learned sufficient to see through me, I had also learned something!”’ (Suzanne Massie, 353)

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