Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev, also spelled Taneev, was a distinguished Russian composer, pianist, theorist, and teacher, born on November 13 (November 25, New Style), 1856, in the district of Vladimir, Russia, and died on June 6 (June 19), 1915, in Moscow, Russia. Known for his intricate contrapuntal textures combined with romantic harmony, Taneyev was a prominent figure in Russian classical music.

Taneyev began his musical education at a young age, entering the Moscow Conservatory at nine, where he studied piano with Edward Langer and later with Nikolai Rubinstein, as well as composition with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He graduated in 1875, making history as the first student to win the gold medal for both composition and performance and was the first recipient of the Conservatory's Great Gold Medal.

In 1878, Taneyev succeeded Tchaikovsky as a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory, later teaching piano and composition. He served as the Conservatory's director from 1885 to 1889. Taneyev was influential as a teacher, with notable students including Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Nikolai Medtner. He resigned in 1905 in protest against political measures but continued his career as a pianist and composer.

Taneyev's compositions include the opera "Oresteia" (1895), four symphonies, six string quartets, and various chamber works. He completed Tchaikovsky's unfinished works and was an admirer of Renaissance composers. His two-volume study on counterpoint, completed in 1909, is a testament to his theoretical prowess. Taneyev was also a close friend of Tchaikovsky and an early member of the Bolshevik party. His contributions to music were marked by his deep understanding of counterpoint, which he regarded as mathematical, and his cosmopolitan musical outlook.