Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was born in the Caucasus region of Russia. He began studying piano and composing at the age of eight, and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Anton Arensky, in 1908. During his studies he met and befriended Prokofiev and later served as a pianist in Prokofiev's ballet The Love for Three Oranges which premiered in Petrograd in 1915. After graduating, he was sent to study German language and literature at the University of Berlin, where he was introduced to the works of Schoenberg and Debussy
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He then returned to Petrograd, where he composed his first symphony, written entirely by himself; however, it was not performed until 1926. In 1922, Shostakovich composed his second symphony (the Adagio) and conducted its premiere with the Petrograd Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vladimir von Becker- conductor. From 1925 to 1927 Shostakovich furthered his theoretical studies at the Sorbonne and met fellow composer Igor Stravinsky who would become an important role model for him.
In 1926 Adagio was performed at The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow again conducted by Vladimir von Becker. This is when Shostakovich became known as one of Russia's most promising composers.
