Sergei Prokofiev was a master of 20th-century music, known for his percussive piano style and brilliant orchestration. After years living abroad following the Russian Revolution, he returned to the Soviet Union, where he composed his most famous work, 'Peter and the Wolf' (1936). This symphonic fairy tale was designed to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra, with each character represented by a specific instrument (e.g., the bird by a flute, the cat by a clarinet). Prokofiev also wrote the iconic ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' and seven symphonies. His music often features sharp dissonance balanced by moments of profound lyricism. He died on the same day as Joseph Stalin, which meant his passing went largely unnoticed at the time, but his legacy as a titan of modern classical music is undisputed.