'''Anton Gregryevich Rubinstein''' (not to be confounded with Josef, also was a Russian great musician)pianist, conductor, and composer of the mid nineteenth century, of Jewish lineage, who converted to Orthodox Christianity with his family. He was the older brother of [[Nikolai Rubinstein|Nikolai Gregryevich Rubinstein]]. ==Life==Anton Gregryevich Rubinstein was born on [[November 28]], 1829in the village of Vikhvatinets in the district of Podolsk, Russia, (now known as [[W:Vikhvatinets|Ofatinţi]] in Transnistria, Republic of Moldova).The Rubinstein family moved to Moscow, Russia before the village birth, in 1835, of Wetchwotgretzhis brother Nikolai, Bessarabiawhere his father opened a pencil factory. About 1840, died the Rubinstein family became Orthodox Christians at Peterhofthe direction of his paternal grandfather. Becoming Orthodox Christians allowed the Rubinsteins to travel freely, near Stsomething not permitted for Jews in Russia at the time. Petersburg Anton began piano lesson at the age of five under the guidance of his mother, Katherina Khristoferovna, née Lowenstein, who was a competent musician in 1894her own right. His parents embraced ChristianityAt six and a half, Anton became a non-paying student of Alexander Villoing, a leading Moscow piano teacher, and made his first public appearance at the children were probably baptized when still age of nine in a charity benefit concert. After having spent a year in Paris, France with Villoing in an unsuccessful attempt to audition at the Paris Conservatoire, due to a flood of youngprodigies who flood the Paris scene, Anton was introduced to Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt in December 1840. Anton, with Villoing, then took an extended concert tour of Europe and Western Russia, returning to Moscow in June 1843. Then, while touring Russia Anton, with his brother Nikolai, he played for Tsar Nicholas I in St. Petersburg. At the time Anton was first taught music 14 years old and Nikolai eight. In early 1844, Anton and Nikolai, accompanied by their mother and sister, continued their education in Berlin, studying composition and theory, as well as Orthodox catechism, Russian grammar, and other subjects. During the summer of 1846, he remained in Berlin when his mother (Katherina Khristoferovna, née Lowenstein)brother, and then studied at sister returned to Moscowwhen their father became gravely ill. The great services rendered Now 17 and no longer a child prodigy, Anton attempted to obtain a sponsor for further study, but was rebuffed. In acute poverty, he turned to giving piano lessons while he tried the consort tour. Forced to return to Russia by him the Revolution of 1848, Anton spent the next five years performing concerts, including at the imperial court. By 1852, he had become a leading figure in the advance musical life of St. Petersburg. During this time he turned to composing. In 1854, he began a four year tour of Europe during which he reestablished his reputation as a virtuoso as well as a composer. Having gained the sponsorship of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, sister of Tsar Nicholas I, he and Elena Pavlovna founded, in 1862, the Russian Musical Society. During this time Anton produced some of his greatest works: his ''Fourth Piano Concerto'', ''Don Quixote'' and the operas ''The Demon'' and ''Ivan IV Grozny''. In 1862, as an outgrowth of the Musical Society he founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the first music school in Russia, of which he was the first director. During the 1872-3 season, Anton toured the United States, giving 215 concerts in 239 days. Returning to Russia were recognized by , he continued to make tours as a pianist and give appearances as a conductor. He also returned to the conservatory, in 1887, where he embarked on a program of improving its standards. In 1891, he left the Conservatory over imperial demands that entrance to the Conservatory be based on ethnic politics instead of merit. Settling in Dresden, Germany, he gave concerts in Germany and Austria, and occasionally returned to Russia to visit friends and family.  As his health began to fade, Anton gave his last concert in St. Petersburg on [[January 14]], 1894. He moved back to live in Peterhof in the summer of the Czaryear and died there on [[November 20]], who decorated him with 1894 of heart disease. ==Sources==*[[Wikipedia:Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein]]*"[http://en.messianicjudaismwiki.com/wiki/Anton_Gregryevich_Rubinstein Anton Gregryevich Rubinstein]" from the Vladimir orderEnglish language <em>[http://en.messianicjudaismwiki.com/ Messianic Judaism Wiki]</em>.*Rev. [http://en.messianicjudaismwiki.com/wiki/Aaron_Bernstein Aaron Bernstein].<em>[http://en.messianicjudaismwiki.com/wiki/Some_Jewish_Witnesses_for_Christ_(book) Some Jewish Witnesses for Christ]</em> London 1906.*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=457&letter=R Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein]