György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" and "one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time".

Le Grand Macabre is the third and only major stage-work by Hungarian composer György Ligeti, following his Absurdist sung "mimodramas" Aventures and Nouvelles aventures (1965).