Shchedrin, son of a composer and music teacher, underwent a thorough musical training in Moscow. His versatility and dazzling competence across a wide variety of musical genres are surely a result of his studies. The composer is also an exceptional pianist and frequently performs his own piano works (concertos, sonatas, 24 preludes and fugues, etc.) on the concert platform. While employing a variety of modern compositional techniques he has, nevertheless, succeeded in uniting traditional and contemporary forms. His work is suffused with his love for Russian folkmusic, poetry and literature, yet it is not just relevant in his homeland but speaks to a wider audience. His more recent works too, are characterized by this fusion of a deep Slavic sensitivity with outstanding virtuosity.