Sergei Prokofiev wrote some of the most lyrical and melodic classical music of the 20th century. He also wrote some wild and crazy music, a side of his artistic personality that he had to suppress when he moved back to Soviet Russia in 1936, a move that had tragic consequences.
Prokofiev was a virtuoso pianist, and his concertos for his instrument pose a stiff challenge to pianists even today — but they’re so good, they still get played a lot.
Check out his biography page on SFCV, and find music, links, fun facts, and the whole Prokofiev saga.