Pierre Boulez, one of the most influential figures in Western art music during the 20th century, died January 5 at the age of 90. A Frenchman by birth, he promoted new and avant-garde music across the world as a composer, conductor, pianist, and writer. He earned 26 Grammy Awards, founded and directed the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), and wrote numerous widely read polemics, including the incisive 1952 essay “Schoenberg is Dead.”
Selected obituaries:
