Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (17 June 1882 – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor who later became a French and then American citizen. Stravinsky is regarded as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century and a central figure in modern music. Born in Saint Petersburg into a musical family, he first studied law but soon turned to composition under the guidance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Stravinsky rose to international fame through his collaborations with Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, creating groundbreaking ballets such as The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring. The latter, with its bold rhythms and dissonance, famously caused a scandal at its Paris premiere and dramatically transformed twentieth-century music. Throughout his career, Stravinsky embraced different styles. In his early Russian period, he integrated folk themes and rhythms. During his neoclassical phase, he drew on classical forms and mythology, while in his later serial period, he experimented with twelve-tone techniques. His major works from these periods include Renard, Les noces, Octet, Apollon musagète, Oedipus rex, and Requiem Canticles. Stravinsky’s constant evolution and inventive approach deeply influenced later composers, shaping the course of modern music. He spent his final years in the United States, where he continued to compose and conduct until his death in New York in 1971.