György Ligeti was born in Hungary in 1923 and is often regarded as one of the most important avant-garde composers of the 20th century. During WWII, he and his family suffered a tragedy when some members were sent to Auschwitz, and he was sent to a labor camp. After the war, he resumed his studies and became a professor.  

After the violent Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he and his wife fled the country and settled in Austria. Ligeti began to tour Europe, and being curious by nature, was inspired by many new influences, among them electronic music in Cologne. He also was a professor in Sweden and the US before retiring, when his health started to fail at the turn of the 21st century. He died in 2006 after being ill for many years, leaving behind his wife Vera and son Lukas. He left behind a vast and diverse repertoire, including some incredibly famous works such as Atmosphères (1961) for orchestra; Requiem (1963–65) for soprano, mezzo-soprano, two choruses, and orchestra; and Lux Aeterna (1966) for the chorus. These three works were later featured in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which brought Ligeti’s work to a wider audience.