Pierre Monteux was born on 4 April 1875 in Paris, France. He was married to Doris Hodgkins, Germaine Benedictus and Victoria Barrière. He died on 1 July 1964 in Hancock, Maine, USA.
He conducted the world premieres (in Paris) of Igor Stravinsky's ballets "Petrouchka" in 1911 and "Le Sacre du Printemps" (The Rite of Spring) in 1913. The audience at the premiere of "The Rite of Spring" was so shocked at the music that they actually rioted inside the concert hall. Monteux was not hurt, and despite the noise and uproar, he kept right on conducting the music.
