Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist, esteemed as a major composer of the 20th century. His compositions are known for their complex rhythms and his system called modes of limited transposition. An organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris for over six decades, he also taught at the Paris Conservatoire. His students included notable composers like Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Messiaen's unique approach incorporated birdsong transcriptions, colour perceptions in music (chromesthesia), and global musical styles.