"Music is a labyrinth with no beginning and no end, full of new paths to discover, where mystery remains eternal." –Pierre Boulez

• Born Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez on March 26, 1925, in Montbrison, Loire, France. Died Jan. 5, 2016, in Baden-Baden, Germany.
   
• Pierre Boulez began his career in the 1940s as music director of the Compagnie Renaud-Barrault theater company in Paris. In the '50s, he became a leader in the avant-garde movement. The French composer and conductor's breakthrough came with the 1955's "Le Marteau Sans Maître," which has been called one of the most important compositions of the post-war era. Subsequently, he became known for pioneering the electronic transformation of instrumental music in real time. 
   
• Boulez took home his first GRAMMYs for 1967: Album Of The Year, Classical and Best Opera Recording for Berg: Wozzeck. 
   
• Did you know? Boulez is among the top GRAMMY winners of all time with 26.
   
• Boulez was honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
   
• Boulez founded an array of musical institutions across Europe: Domaine Musical, the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and the Cité de la Musique.