Berlioz, Hector, BAIR lee ohz, ehk TAWR (1803-1869), was a French composer. He is known for his orchestrating genius; his long, uninterrupted melodies; and his way of relating his musical compositions to stories and ideas, known as program music. Berlioz drew from his own life experiences for many of these programs. His understanding of acoustics enabled Berlioz to become a great orchestrator.