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Olivier Messiaen, born in 1908, entered the Paris Conservatoire when he was just 11. He received the coveted post of organist at La Trinité in Paris in 1931 and remained there until his death. When France fell in 1940, Messiaen was taken as a prisoner of war where he composed Quatuor pour la fin du temps and performed it with the available instruments and fellow prisoners for the first time. Following the war, Messiaen served as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire from 1966 until 1978. He wrote with rhythmic complexity and used “modes of limited transposition,” which he invented himself. Many of Messiaen’s pieces are inspired by his Roman Catholic faith and influenced by his travels around the world. He worked with total serialism for a time and is known as a great innovator in this style. Messiaen was fascinated by birds and used bird calls in many of his pieces. He died in 1992, leaving behind a long legacy of music innovation. For more information please visit www.oliviermessiaen.org.