Name: Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Hometown: Votkinsk, Russia
Listen to: ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘1812 Overture’
The Russian composer Tchaikovsky is most famous for his ballets, however he also wrote concertos, symphonies, operas, and chamber music. Akin to Saint-Saëns, he entered into a marriage that ended disastrously only two months in, which left him with writers block. Although he was never publicly out, Tchaikovsky wrote detailed letters to his brother Modest about his sexuality, and he entered into many close relationships—both working and casual— with men. Tchaikovsky moved in circles that were widely deemed homosexual, leaving rumours about his own sexuality rife, but tended to engage in relationships with men outside of his social circles.