ARMFELT ZELEZNOVA, Alexandra

Born Countess Alexandrine Armfelt into a Finnish noble family in Turku, Grand Duchy of Finland, great granddaughter of Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, she received a broad education as a child and started to compose at an early age. Her first work was published in 1894. She was a member of the circle surrounding Anton Rubinstein and Mily Balakirev. She had an interest in Russian folk music and together with her husband published a collection of Cossack songs (Пѣсни уральских казаков) in 1899. Her most productive period was 1903–1914, based in St. Petersburg, during which she published a number of romances for cello, violin and piano.