Composers
John Williams: the maestro behind some of cinema's most iconic soundtracks
It’s likely more people around the world know some music written by John Williams than they do Bach or Beethoven. From Star Wars to Harry Potter, via Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, his music for films has made him a bit of a superstar. Here’s everything you ought to know about the legendary composer.
Johann Sebastian Bach: the Baroque innovator who changed the sound of classical music forever
Meet the king of counterpoint, Johann Sebastian Bach
Franz Schmidt: the brilliant composer cancelled for pleasing the Nazis
A cataclysmic decision in his final year led to this masterful late-Romantic symphonist being cast out into the cold, explains Erik Levi
Best American composers: 16 composers who changed the course of American music
Daniel Jaffé explores the lives and works of the USA's greatest ever composers
These seven composers endured miserable love lives - but forged sublime music from them
When it comes to love, the great composers are, frankly, pretty much like the rest of us: hopeless. Here are six composers who endured terrible love lives
What's new?
The great JS Bach was thrown in jail in 1717. Here's what happened
A desire to change jobs caused Bach to spend almost four weeks in prison. Here we explain more...
Charles-Valentin Alkan: the child prodigy who lived as a hermit and influenced Chopin, Liszt and Ravel
A performer who became a hermit, Charles-Valentin Alkan wrote the most demanding piano works in history, says Malcolm Hayes
Best Austrian composers: 11 great musical figures from Austria
Daniel Jaffé explores the lives and works of Austria's greatest ever composers
Mahler: the composer for whom 'the symphony must be like the world'
Meet Gustav Mahler, the symphony's great synthesist
'I detest him'... 'The most sublime music ever'... 11 of the best quotes about Beethoven
Famous quotes about the great composer from other great minds and creatives
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Thomas Adès: the innovative British composer who expertly mixes modernism and emotional depth
A British composer, conductor, and pianist, Thomas Adès is one of the most influential, innovative composers working today
Isaac Albéniz: Spanish nationalism with a French twist
Though best known for depicting the colours of his homeland, the Spaniard was in fact a truly cosmopolitan figure, says Jessica Duchen
Who was Louis Andriessen and was he one of the best Dutch composers ever?
When Louis Andriessen died at the age of 82 in 2021 the Netherlands lost one of its most important and idiosyncratic composers, writes Tom Stewart
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Lord Berners: a true English eccentric
Geoff Brown tells the story of the maverick composer Lord Berners, whose flamboyant lifestyle went hand-in-hand with a major talent
Mel Bonis: the French composer who forged her own path through social norms and personal struggles
French composer Mel Bonis overcame social prejudice and personal struggles to create a vast and expressive body of work
A document of despair… How Beethoven's anguished Heiligenstadt Testament revealed his advancing deafness
Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament reveals the composer's pain over his encroaching deafness
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John Cage: the composer whose most famous work didn't make a sound
Nick Shave explores the nuts and bolts of an avant gardist whose creative genius goes well
beyond his famous 4'33" of not-quite-silence
Frédéric Chopin: he was the quintessential Romantic artist. But he was also a tricky character to be around
He was a master of lyricism and drama, and his ethereal melodies still enchant us today. His life was not an easy one, however. Meet the ultimate Romantic, Frédéric Chopin
Anna Clyne: the British, US-based composer who combines bold paintings and electronic effects with her music
Meet Anna Clyne, the New York- based composer who is artist in-association with the BBC Philharmonic
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Antonín Dvořák: incomparable Czech melodist
Meet Antonín Dvořák, supreme folk and classical synthesist and perhaps the most melodic of the Late Romantics
Who is Henry Walford Davies?
Buckingham Palace has announced that music by the English composer Henry Walford Davies will be performed at the coronation, but who is he?
Who is Patrick Doyle?
Meet the Scottish composer Patrick Doyle, whose composing credits include a Harry Potter, Bridget Jones - and music for King Charles’s Coronation
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Julius Eastman: the uncompromising American composer who embraced his colour and sexuality with raucous confidence
A brilliant pianist, composer, singer and dancer, Eastman’s wayward lifestyle hindered the success he merited, says Claire Jackson
George Enescu: multi-faceted composer, Romanian national hero
Meet George Enescu, labelled by one famous performer ‘the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart'
Who is Danny Elfman, the composer behind The Simpsons?
There’s one iconic telly tune you’ll probably know by this American composer, whose music graces the BBC Proms for the first time this weekend; but there’s a lot more to Danny Elfman than The Simpsons...
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Louise Farrenc: the gifted composer who brought the battle of the sexes to 19th-century France
Though multi-faceted and mightily gifted, the French composer Louise Farrenc could easily have gone entirely unnoticed, as Jessica Duchen explains
Morton Feldman
An introduction to the 20th-century experimental American composer Morton Feldman
Who is Alexis Ffrench? Meet the composer and pianist who performed at the Coronation
Meet the composer and pianist, Alexis Ffrench, who is among the artists performing at the coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 7 May
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Jonny Greenwood: from Radiohead to some of cinema's most unsettling scores
Jonny Greenwood is perhaps best known as being the lead guitarist/keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead. For over 15 years, though, Greenwood has established himself as an inventive and award-winning film composer
George Gershwin: he forged a new musical language for 20th-century America
Whether it's Broadway songs or jazz-influenced pieces for the concert hall, George Gershwin is regarded as one of the greatest melodists of the 20th century
Philip Glass: the pioneering American composer who took us to the wilder shores of Minimalism and beyond
Meet Philip Glass: so much more than a Minimalist
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Imogen Holst - why Gustav's self-effacing daughter deserves the spotlight in her own right
Her devotion to others was admirable, but this modest composer should be celebrated for her own considerable talents, says Leah Broad
Dani Howard: a guide to the talented young composer whose music features at the BBC Proms 2024
Meet Dani Howard, the brilliant young British composer, who has recently been appointed composer-in-residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Hildegard von Bingen: writer, theologian, composer, naturalist... and scourge of a corrupt Church
Your guide to the music of the 12-century nun, Hildegard von Bingen: her inspirations, her unique sound and recommended recordings of her work
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Janáček, Leos
Leos Janáček: a man of fierce passions, and a gifted melder of musical styles
Who was Josquin des Prez?
Everything you need to know about the French composer and his revolutionary Renaissance music
Who was Jóhann Jóhannsson? A guide to the Icelandic composer
You might have heard of this Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer who died in 2018 aged only 48, but who exactly was he? What was his music like? How did he make his breakthrough? Here's everything you need to know about Jóhann Jóhannsson
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Korngold, Erich Wolfgang
Embracing youthful stardom, Nazi censorship and Hollywood success, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's story was truly remarkable, says Jessica Duchen
Komitas
Michael Church explores the enduring influence of Komitas, the composer and pioneering folk-collector whose career met a brutal end
Knussen, Oliver
Oliver Knussen is a great British talent, whose colourful scores had a huge impact on audiences and composers alike
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Franz Liszt: public showman and creative visionary who had them swooning in the aisles
The composer Franz Liszt was a brilliant but enigmatic piano virtuoso, writes Jessica Duchen
Franz Lehár: meet the composer behind one of the most popular operas ever, The Merry Widow
George Hall looks at the life and music of Franz Lehár, a composer who brought both huge popularity and a new respect to the world of operetta - and gave the world The Merry Widow
Edouard Lalo: meet the French composer who gave Romanticism a Spanish tang
Lalo’s best works for the opera stage and concert hall reveal a distinctive composer who by no means deserves his present neglect, says Roger Nichols
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Secret rituals and brotherly love: why Mozart joined the Freemasons
Undoubtedly Mozart joined the Freemasons to assist his career, but the young composer was also inspired by their egalitarian values
Mozart: child prodigy, melodic genius, Romantic forerunner... and our greatest composer?
Was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart the greatest composer who ever lived?
Peter Maxwell Davies: a bold innovator with a passion for our musical past
The British composer (1934-2016) Peter Maxwell Davies achieved a unique blend of adventurous experimentalism and passion for older musical forms
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Ben Nobuto: meet the composer bringing videogame adventures to the First Night of the Proms
The Japanese/British composer's 'Hallelujah Sim' receives its world premiere at the First Night of the Proms on 19 July 2024
Nyman, Michael
He’s had film score successes galore and his style is both inventive and distinctive. So why, asks Nick Shave, does Michael Nyman often find himself deserted by the tide of musical opinion?
Nielsen, Carl
The great Dane
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George Onslow: has history judged the Anglo-French composer unfairly?
Admired by several notable contemporaries, the man once dubbed ‘the French Beethoven’ is surely ripe for reappraisal, says Misha Donat
Who is Tarik O'Regan?
Meet British-American composer Tarik O'Regan, whose CV includes writing music for King Charles's coronation
Orff, Carl
The lies, the politics… and Carmina Burana
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Sergey Prokofiev: revolutionary composer who gave us some of the 20th century's most dazzling music
Meet Sergey Prokofiev, the Russian master of drama, orchestration and sardonic wit
'Audience members fainted with excitement': the dazzling virtuoso rumoured to be in league with the devil
One of the most dazzling musical showmen of all time, the great Italian violinist and composer Paganini cast a spell over all those who heard his music, as Julian Haylock explains
Puccini: the Italian opera maestro who added Wagner to Verdi
Opera's craftsman of emotion
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Maurice Ravel: the 'most perfect of Swiss watchmakers'
We explore the life and work of Maurice Ravel, master craftsman of French music
Rachmaninov: the 'six-foot scowl' who gave us some of classical music's most breathtaking moments
The last great Russian Romantic: meet Sergey Rachmaninov, creator of some of classical music's most irresistible melodies
Respighi, Ottorino
The Roman Visionary
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Stephen Sondheim: one of our greatest composers, in any genre
Stephen Sondheim transformed musical theatre through his groundbreaking works – yet he never appreciated his true impact, writes James Inverne
Salieri: history has him down as music's sorest loser. He deserves better
A certain portrayal in a seminal classical music film has portrayed Salieri as Mozart's deadly rival - and possibly his killer. Is there any truth in this?
'It's given me a laser focus' - theatre composer Adrian Sutton on his terminal diagnosis
Facing a terminal illness has given award-winning theatre composer Adrian Sutton a sharp new impetus, he tells Michael Beek
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Tchaikovsky: the great Russian Romantic who channelled a turbulent life into heart-rending music
Tchaikovsky: a great Russian, a great Romantic - and a master of the lament
Tan Dun: meet the composer of the 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' score
Chinese-American composer Tan Dun has come from humble origins to achieve global success, yet his concerns remain the same – balance, humanity and the natural world, writes Claire Jackson
John Tavener
Meet John Tavener, composer of extraordinarily spiritual music of many faiths
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Verdi: the composer who battled grave personal tragedies to become a national icon
Composer Giuseppe Verdi battled family tragedies and censorship to become a leading light in the world of Italian opera
Ralph Vaughan Williams: folk music, the English countryside, and moments of transcendent beauty
Terry Blain explores the life, times and works of Ralph Vaughan Williams - the grand old man of British music
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and beyond
The composer of The Four Seasons was also one of the Baroque era's busiest and most influential musicians. Meet Antonio Vivaldi
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Eric Whitacre: Nevada's most famous composer, who has broken records with his virtual choirs
Meet Eric Whitacre, the hugely popular US composer, conductor and founder of the Virtual Choir
Richard Wagner: the composer who shook the opera world
Composer of the Ring cycle: discover the life and work of opera's colossus, Richard Wagner
Errollyn Wallen: why sea, sky and solitude are key to her magical soundworld
From her first piano lesson, composer Errollyn Wallen has lived and breathed music; and though inspired by a range of styles, her composing is a deeply personal expression, as she tells Kate Wakeling