Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky[n 1] (28 October 1751 – 10 October [O.S. 28 September] 1825) was a Russian Imperial composer of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He was a composer, harpsichordist ...
and conductor who served at the court of Catherine the Great. Bortniansky was critical to the musical history of both Ukraine and Russia, with both nations claiming him as their own.
Bortniansky, who has been compared to Palestrina, is known today for his liturgical works and prolific contributions to the genre of choral concertos. He was one of the "Golden Three" of his era, alongside Artemy Vedel and Maxim Berezovsky. Bortniansky was so popular in the Russian Empire that his figure was represented in 1862 in the bronze monument of the Millennium of Russia in the Novgorod Kremlin. He composed in many different musical styles, including choral compositions in French, Italian, Latin, German and Church Slavonic.
