Vladimir Nikolaevich Tsybin

Born in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, Russia in a family of a violonist and conductor of a small town orchestra. After moving to Moscow, boy's father soon died, and the 9 year old Vladimir was sent to a military orchestra, where he learned to play the flute and piccolo. At age 12 he entered the Moscow Conservatory where he studied flute with Wilhelm Kretschmann. He played in different orchestras and in 1896 entered Bolschoi Theater as a piccolo player. He held this position …