Samuel Barber was an American composer and conductor who lived from 1910 to 1981. He is best known for his works 'Adagio for Strings' and 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915'. He also wrote a number of operas, including 'Vanessa', 'Antony and Cleopatra', and 'A Hand of Bridge'. He was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes for Music, one in 1958 for his opera 'Vanessa' and one in 1963 for his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. He was also the recipient of numerous other awards and honors throughout his career.