Béla Bartók

Béla Bartók (1881–1944) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. He is considered one of the most important 20th-century composers in the genre known as Modernism. During the twentieth century, he was known for his music that drew on elements of folk music and influenced many other composers.

Bartók believed that every musical style had its own logic, and preferred to follow his own instincts, which he considered far superior to the opinions of others, and to which he adhered all his life.

By the end of his life, Bartók composed a total of over 700 works, which, if not for the loss of his piano sheet music due to the Holocaust, would number close to 1000.