Aleksandr Vassilievich Gauk (Russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Га́ук; 15 August [O.S. 3 August] 1893 – 30 March 1963) was a Russian/Soviet conductor and composer. Aleksandr Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as hearing army bands and his mother singing and accompanying herself at the piano. When he was seven he began piano studies and at 17 travelled to St Petersburg and managed to gain entrance to the class of Daugover, later moving over to Felix Blumenfeld. He saw Arthur Nikisch, Claude Debussy and Richard Strauss conduct and was particularly taken by the former.