Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) was a French composer and organist born in Avignon. A devout Catholic, he developed a deeply personal musical language drawing on birdsong transcription, Hindu rhythmic theory, modes of limited transposition, and theological mysticism. His Quartet for the End of Time (1941), composed and premiered while interned at Stalag VIII-A during World War II, remains one of the twentieth century's most celebrated chamber works. As a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire he influenced Boulez, Stockhausen, Xenakis, and Murail among many others. His late work Éclairs sur l'Au-Delà (1991) is among his most expansive.