Alexander Tikhonovich Gretchaninov, born on October 25, 1864, in Moscow, Russia, was a prominent Russian Romantic composer known for his religious works and children's music. Despite his father's wishes for him to join the family business, Gretchaninov pursued music and began his formal studies at the Moscow Conservatory in 1881. His teachers included Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky. After a disagreement with Arensky, he moved to St. Petersburg to study under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who recognized his talent and supported him financially.

Gretchaninov's early works, such as his prize-winning String Quartet No. 1, show the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov. By 1910, his contributions to music were so esteemed that the Tsar awarded him an annual pension. He composed across various genres, including symphonies, operas, and vocal music, with his works achieving success both within Russia and internationally.

After the Russian Revolution, Gretchaninov emigrated to France in 1925 and later to the United States in 1939, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1946. He continued to compose, with his later works reflecting influences from contemporaries like Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Gretchaninov passed away on January 3, 1956, in New York City and is buried in New Jersey. His manuscripts are preserved in the Music Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.