A French composer and pianist whose way of life was as eccentric as his music. Satie had considerable influence over some of his more distinguished contemporaries, including Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc, particularly through his tendency to extreme simplicity.

In the 1890s he made a precarious living playing at cafès and composing music for the Rosicrucian Society.

A number of his compositions have become very familiar to many, largely through their use in other contexts.

Satie’s piano pieces, many with strange titles, have won some popularity and among these are the Gymnopèdies, the three Gnossiennes and the three Sarabandes.