Yakiv Stepovy

Stepovy was born Yakiv Yakymenko (Akimenko) in Kharkiv, in the Russian Empire (in present-day Ukraine).

Stepovy's older brother, Theodore Akimenko [fr]), was also a composer.

He was one of the founders of the national school of composition and composed in the tradition of Mykola Lysenko.

[1][3] During World War I, Stepovy was recruited to the military, where he worked as a secretary on a hospital train.

[2] He was a master at choral and piano works, the author of music collections for children, teacher of the Kyiv Conservatory and founder of the State vocal quartet.