Karl Davydov was a Russian composer and cellist. He was born into a musical family in Latvia in 1838. Davydov was a child prodigy, but his parents demanded that he must finish his education before starting his life as a cellist. He graduated from St. Petersburg University with a degree in Mathematics and then studied composition with Moritz Hauptmann at Leipzig Conservatory. Karl started piano lessons at the age of five and cello lessons at the age of twelve with Heinrich Schmidt, the Moscow Theatre's principal cellist. Davidov had intended to be a musician, but after filling in for Grutzmacher on short notice and receiving rave reviews as a cellist, he decided to choose that direction instead. As Grutzmacher relocated to Dresden, Davidov, then 22 years old, took over as cello professor at the Leipzig Conservatory. Following that, Davidov toured extensively across Europe and was widely regarded as the strongest cellist of his generation. Davydov was one of the first cellists to integrate the cello technique with anatomical and physiological elements of performance under Hauptmann's guidance. His most famous cello composition is "At the Fountain," and it is still being performed today.