George Balanchine once said that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's music made him fall in love with ballet, and many ballet lovers echo Balanchine’s sentiment. To this day, some of PNB’s most popular ballets (Swan Lake and The Nutcracker) are set to Tchaikovsky’s music. Read on to learn about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s turbulent life and his iconic ballets!