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Holst was an English composer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Holst's father, a Swedish musician, taught him to play the piano, and he eventually became interested in composing music, which he studied at the Royal College of Music in London. At this school, he met Vaughn Williams, who was in the same grade and remained a close friend throughout his life. After graduation, he worked as a trombonist and then became head of the music department at St. Paul's School for Girls outside of London, where he also worked as a composer and music teacher. As a student, he became interested in Eastern philosophy and studied Sanskrit, and since then he has written several works using Eastern materials. His orchestral suite "The Planets," which depicts the planets of the solar system in music, is also known as his masterpiece.