Theodore Akimenko (Feb. 8, 1876 - Jan. 8, 1945) was a Ukranian pianist, professor, and composer.  He is the older brother of the composer Jakob Akimenko. 

Akimenko studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Rimsky-Korsakov, Liadov, and Balakirev, and graduated in 1900. From 1901 to 1903, he was director of the Tbilisi Music School. There are some gaps in our knowledge of him, but we know he was a lecturer at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1915, and taught there as a professor from 1919 to 1923, where he was Stravinsky's first composition teacher. Years later he would move to France, where he stayed the rest of his life.

Akimenko's Petite Ballade for clarinet and piano is a wonderful addition to the clarinet repertoire. Evocative and lyrical, there's a fun middle section where the clarinet gets to show off with some lively runs before returning to the slower moving thematic material. This is a great piece to work on smooth lines while also some faster technical work!