Milhaud, Darius 1892-1974
French composer

Born in Aix-en-Provence, he studied under Vincent d'Indy. He frequently collaborated with the playwright Paul Claudel, as on the opera Christopher Columbus (1928). For a time he was a member of the group of young French composers known as Les Six. In 1940 he went to the USA, where he was made Professor of Music at Mills College, California (1940-47). He was one of the most prolific of modern composers, his work including several operas, much incidental music for plays, ballets (including the jazz ballet La Cr�ation du monde, 1923, 'The Creation of the World'), symphonies and orchestral, choral and chamber works. He wrote an autobiography, Notes sans musique (1948, Eng trans Notes without Music, 1952).