Russian composer and musician Igor Stravinsky was born in 1882 to a musical family. His musical education began at the age of 9 and wanted to become a professional musician like his father. His parents disagreed and he had to study law for a few years, which he did half-heartedly until he abandoned it altogether to devote himself to the study of music. It is believed his love for operas and ballets came from witnessing a performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty when he was a young boy. Following his father’s death and the aftermath of the 1905 Bloody Sunday events, he decided to pursue his career in music and started composing. In 1905, he married his first cousin against his church’s council, and together they had four children. He would later marry after the passing of his first wife. 

Stravinsky composed several operas of various success, including The Firebird and Petrushka and Apollo. Before the Second World War, the composer moved to New York and then to California to advance his career. The move was proved to be fruitful, as he was met with remarkable success in North America, earning more than he had in Europe. 

He died of pulmonary edema at home in New York in 1971 at age 86, leaving a remarkable musical legacy. He presented new musical concepts, including ever-changing rhythms and metric imbalances, new original orchestration, and dramatic dissonant harmonies that continued to resonate throughout the 20th century.