Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a French composer and pianist, He was born in Honfleur, which lies on the Seine estuary on the Normandy coast. His family moved to Paris when he was 4, then he moved between Honfleur and Paris several times in his life. Satie was introduced as a gymnopedist in 1887, shortly before writing his most famous compositions, the Gymnopédies. Later, he also called himself a phonometrician, meaning someone who measures sounds, preferring this designation to that of musician. Clearly, he was a great eccentric. He did not fit into the contemporary mainstream musical establishment, which was firmly romantic under the influence of Saint-Saens. Instead, he moved in and out of various avant-garde, or odd circles of acquaintances, and was determined never to appear conventional in any way.
As well as composing, Satie also wrote a great deal, contributing to many publications, and he was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde. He was a precursor to later artistic movements such as minimalism, repetitive music and the Theatre of the Absurd.