Igor Stravinsky

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882–1971) was a Russian-born composer who became the most influential figure in twentieth-century music. Born near St Petersburg, he studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, whose recommendation brought him to the attention of Sergei Diaghilev, impresario of the Ballets Russes. The three great ballet commissions that followed — The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913) — transformed music and dance simultaneously, each more radical than the last. The riotous premiere of The Rite of Spring at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913 is the most famous single event in the history of music.

Stravinsky's long career passed through three broad phases: a Russian nationalist period dominated by the Ballets Russes works; a neoclassical period (c.1920–1950) characterised by cool, spare textures and references to earlier music — Apollo (1928), commissioned by the Library of Congress and choreographed by Balanchine, and Les Noces (1923) belong to this era; and a final serial period influenced by Webern. His collaboration with George Balanchine, beginning in the 1920s and continuing until his death, produced some of the greatest works in the choreographic repertoire.

Stravinsky emigrated to France in 1920 and to the United States in 1939, becoming an American citizen in 1945. His impact on harmony, rhythm, orchestration and musical form was immeasurable. His most frequently performed ballet scores remain The Firebird, Petrushka and Apollo.