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Russian-born composer, pianist, and conductor, widely considered one of the most influential figures in 20th-century music. Stravinsky rose to fame through Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris. His revolutionary works spanned three major stylistic periods: Russian primitivism (e.g., The Rite of Spring), neoclassicism (e.g., Symphony of Psalms), and serialism (e.g., Requiem Canticles). He became a French citizen in 1934 and a U. S. citizen in 1945, receiving numerous honors including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal.

• The 1913 premiere of The Rite of Spring caused a riot in Paris due to its dissonant harmonies and primal choreography, becoming one of classical music's most infamous scandals.
• Stravinsky's family fled Russia during the 1917 Revolution, losing property and royalties. He lived in Switzerland, France, and finally the United States.
• He collaborated with luminaries like Pablo Picasso (designing sets for Pulcinella) and poet W.H. Auden (for The Rake's Progress).
• His 1948 arrest by Boston police for violating a sacred music ordinance by re-orchestrating The Star-Spangled Banner became a national news story.
• Stravinsky suffered a stroke in 1956 but continued composing using serial techniques under Robert Craft's influence until his death from heart failure.