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Hector Berlioz was a pioneering French Romantic composer and conductor, renowned for his innovative orchestration and programmatic works that dramatically expanded the possibilities of orchestral music. Born in La Côte-Saint-André, France, Berlioz defied his physician father's wishes to pursue music. After medical studies in Paris, he enrolled at the Conservatoire in 1826. His unrequited passion for actress Harriet Smithson inspired his revolutionary Symphonie fantastique (1830). Despite winning the Prix de Rome (1830), he struggled for recognition in France, finding greater success abroad as a conductor. Berlioz composed groundbreaking works like the Requiem (Grande messe des morts) and the dramatic symphony Roméo et Juliette. He married Smithson in 1833 (divorced 1844), later marrying singer Marie Recio. Berlioz also worked as an influential music critic and authored the seminal Treatise on Instrumentation.

• His obsession with actress Harriet Smithson led him to compose Symphonie fantastique, featuring an 'idée fixe' musical theme representing her, and shocking scenes of drug-induced hallucinations and a witch's Sabbath.
• Berlioz's marriage to Smithson deteriorated due to her alcoholism and financial troubles; he later began a relationship with singer Marie Recio while still married, eventually marrying Recio after Smithson's death in 1854.
• He faced constant rejection from the Paris Conservatoire and French musical establishment, relying on journalism for income despite international fame. His innovative works often premiered abroad due to lack of support in France.
• Berlioz pioneered modern orchestration, specifying unprecedented instrumental combinations and techniques. His Treatise on Instrumentation (1844) remains a foundational text for composers.
• He died at 65 after years of intestinal illness (possibly Crohn's disease), worsened by the deaths of both wives and his son Louis. His final words were reportedly 'Enfin, on va jouer ma musique' ('At last, they are going to play my music').