The Russian composer and conductor Sergei Vasilenko studied with Grechaninov and Konyus, and later with Taneyev and Ippolitov-Ivanov, becoming, like Rachmaninov, conductor for the Mamontov Opera in the years before 1914. His marked interest in the exotic is reflected in his musical exploration of Central Asia and in his Chinese and Hindu Suites, works marked by colourful Russian orchestration.