Bela Bartok (1881-1945)

    A native of Hungary, Bartok was a prominent composer of the twentieth century. His compositions were primarily tonal; however, Bartok moved beyond traditional music to include new harmonic and rhythmic styles influenced by primitive folk music. In his later years, Bartok began to experiment with non-traditional scales and polytonality. His most influential works include the Violin Concerto and Mikrokosmos, a series of pieces designed for instructional purposes.