Francis Poulenc

French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963).
More than half of the combined playing time for all his compositions consists of sacred music. Studied composition with Charles Koechlin. He made his début in 1917 and in the following years gained increasing attention with a rapid succession of compositions.
Member of the French group Les Six. He composed music in all major genres, including art song, chamber music, oratorio, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music. In his music, influences from Stravinsky, Maurice Chevalier, jazz and French vaudeville sit alongside elements of dadaism and surrealism.