Olivier Messiaen

Messiaen, Olivier (1908–92), French composer, organist, teacher, and theorist. Much of his music, such as The Ascension (1935), was influenced by Roman Catholic mysticism. Others are based on Oriental music, such as the Turangalila symphony (1949), or on birdsong, such as the Catalog of Birds (1959). He influenced many modern composers, among them Pierre Boulez of France and Karlheinz Stockhausen of Germany.