George Crumb was an American composer who rose to prominence in the second half of the 20th century on the strength of his highly personal avant-garde style. As demonstrated in Echoes of Time and the River, Ancient Voices of Children, Black Angels, and the four-volume keyboard collection Makrokosmos, Crumb was a master of novel sounds and extended instrumental effects, using them in subtle ways for atmospheric color or to underscore the occult or otherworldly subjects of his compositions. Crumb was also noted for his fondness for setting the poetry of Federico García Lorca. Crumb died at his home in Media, Pennsylvania, on February 6, 2022.