Legendary Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich passed away on August 9, 1975 at the age of 68. He is remembered for his prolific work in classical and Soviet music. Born in St. Petersburg on September 25, 1906, Shostakovich was considered a musical prodigy from a young age, and studied piano and composition at the Petrograd Conservatory. He composed 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, numerous film scores and chamber pieces. He also wrote the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which brought him worldwide fame in the 1930s. Internationally, his work was seen as a representation of the hardships of life living in the Soviet Union. Shostakovich won many awards and accolades, including two prizes from the Lenin All-Union Central Council in 1965, a Moscow University honorary doctorate in 1961, and the Order of Lenin in 1966. He will long be remembered for his musical legacy and his contribution to Russian and Soviet music.