Conlon Nancarrow 1912 - 1997

"Conlon Nancarrow (born October 27, 1912 in Texarkana, Arkansas; died August 10, 1997 in Mexico City) was a U.S.-born composer who lived and worked in Mexico for most of his life. He became a Mexican citizen in 1955.

Nancarrow is best remembered for the pieces he wrote for the player piano. He was one of the first composers to use musical instruments as mechanical machines, making them play far beyond human performance ability. He lived most of his life in relative isolation, not becoming widely known until the 1980s. Today, he is remembered as one of the most original and unusual composers of the 20th century".