Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was born on January 7, 1899, in Paris, France, into a family with a rich cultural and religious background. His father, Émile Poulenc, was a successful industrialist, while his mother, Jenny Royer, came from a Parisian family with artistic interests. Poulenc's upbringing in a musical household, where his mother played the piano, influenced his early interest in music.

Despite his father's wishes for him to join the family business, Poulenc pursued music, studying under the pianist Ricardo Viñes and later with composer Charles Koechlin. He became part of the group of composers known as "Les Six," which included Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, and others. This group was known for its reaction against the emotionalism of Romantic music and the Impressionism of Claude Debussy.

Poulenc's early works were characterized by wit and parody, as seen in compositions like "Rapsodie Nègre" and "Trois Mouvements Perpétuels." His collaborations with poets such as Guillaume Apollinaire and Jean Cocteau were significant in his career. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Poulenc gained fame for his compositions, including the ballet "Les Biches" and the "Concert champêtre."

During World War II, Poulenc was involved in the French resistance, and his cantata "Figure humaine" became a symbol of resistance. His religious compositions from the 1930s onwards, such as "Litanies à la Vierge Noire" and "Mass in G Major," revealed a more serious side to his music.

Poulenc was also a celebrated pianist, known for his partnerships with baritone Pierre Bernac and soprano Denise Duval. His opera "Dialogues des Carmélites" and the song cycle "La Voix humaine" are among his notable works.

Poulenc passed away on January 30, 1963, in Paris. Initially remembered as a composer of light-hearted music, his serious works have gained more recognition in the 21st century.