How did Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov help Igor Stravinsky develop as a composer?

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov played a pivotal role in Igor Stravinsky’s development as a composer by serving as his private mentor after being impressed by his early work in 1902. Rather than encouraging conventional academic training at a conservatory, Rimsky-Korsakov provided personalized guidance, specifically tutoring Stravinsky in orchestration and discussing his new compositions to offer constructive suggestions.1

Beyond technical instruction, Rimsky-Korsakov actively supported Stravinsky’s career by using his influence to secure performances for his pupil's music, including opportunities for student works to be played during his class gatherings and by the Court Orchestra. This mentorship was instrumental in Stravinsky’s early success; his mastery of the orchestral palette, which became a hallmark of his later works like The Firebird, was a direct assimilation of the flamboyant Romantic style championed by his master.1