Russian composer born in St. Petersburg. As a child he was accepted for study at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg; he began as a full student there in 1776, studying with Matteo Bumi and Blasius Sartori. In 1782 he went to Bologna to study with Padre Martini and Stanislao Mattei; three years later he was accepted into the Accademia filarmonica. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1785, he taught at the theatrical school and composed operas. From 1797 he was répétiteur for the imperial theater under Paul I. His operas include Yamshchiki na podstave [The Coachmen] (1787); Vecherinki [Soirees] (1788); Orfey i Evridika (1792); Amerikantsï [Americans], comic opera (1800); and Zolotoye yabloko [The Golden Apple] (perf. 1803).