Which French composer wrote 'Boléro'?

Maurice Ravel wrote Boléro.

Boléro is an orchestral ballet composed by the French composer Maurice Ravel in 1928. It was commissioned for the dancer and impresario Ida Rubinstein, who wanted a Spanish-themed work for her company. The ballet premiered at the Paris Opéra in November 1928, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska and Rubinstein dancing the leading role.

The music is built around an unusually persistent design. A snare drum repeats the same rhythm almost without interruption while two principal melodies alternate and return. Rather than developing its themes through conventional harmonic changes, Ravel creates momentum mainly through orchestral color: the melody passes from one instrument or instrumental group to another, gradually expanding the sound.

The piece begins quietly and rises through a long, controlled crescendo before its abrupt final climax. Ravel reportedly described it as an orchestral study, yet it became his most famous composition. Its Spanish character also reflects musical stylization rather than a literal transcription of traditional Spanish folk music. A common mix-up is attributing Boléro to Claude Debussy, another major French composer of the period; the work belongs specifically to Ravel.