Composer; born in Trenton, N.J. After childhood studies in piano and composition (with Ernest Bloch), he made a sensation on a 1922 European tour with his "ultra-modern" compositions such as Sonate sauvage. Becoming a favorite of the influential Parisian avant-garde, Antheil in 1926 premiered his most famous/infamous work, the Ballet mécanique, a percussive score including an airplane engine and other noisemakers. Returning to the U.S.A. in 1927, he settled into a long career of relatively conservative composing, including a number of film scores. His autobiography, Bad Boy of Music, appeared in 1945.