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Monteverdi, Claudio
Meet Monteverdi, early opera pioneer and classical music's first great dramatist
Felix Mendelssohn: effortlessly gifted Romantic
The ultimate child prodigy
Mozart: a brief biography of the incomparable melodist
Was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart the greatest composer who ever lived?
Pietro Mascagni: why the Italian composer should be remembered for more than Cavalleria rusticana
Famous for Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni would probably be well known for his other operas too had the tide of political history not turned against him, says George Hall
Albéric Magnard: unveiling the passion and tragedy of France's forgotten composer
A combination of bad timing, unfortunate circumstance and his own bloody-mindedness condemned Magnard’s music to obscurity. It was, says Roger Nichols, an unjust fate
Mussorgsky, Modest
Meet Modest Musorgsky (or Mussorgsky), the revolutionary realist of Russian music
Who is Paul Mealor?
Meet Paul Mealor, one of the composers writing music for King Charles's coronation
Mahler, Gustav
Meet Gustav Mahler, the symphony's great synthesist
Meyerbeer, Giacomo
One of the most fêted composers of his era, Giacomo Meyerbeer also did much to develop opera into the visual spectacle we know today. So why, asks Andrew Green, has his name been relegated to the list of operatic also-rans?
Medtner, Nikolai
A younger contemporary of Rachmaninov - and composer of some stirring piano music
Royal Philharmonic Society honorary membership for Thea Musgrave
The composer's outstanding services to music have been recognised
Who is Missy Mazzoli?
You might know the name, but who is Missy Mazzoli? What kind of music does she write? Here's everything you need to know about the genre-defying American composer, who, since the pandemic, has been training to be a death doula
Myaskovsky, Nikolai
In his lifetime Nikolai Myaskovsky was the Soviet Union’s most honoured symphonist, yet his heartfelt music expressed a personal tragedy, says David Nice
MacMillan, James
One of the most prolific in the UK, Scottish composer James MacMillan’s music is oft-programmed and recorded. But exactly who is he? Here’s a brief guide…
Mendelssohn, Fanny
Bella Noel uncovers the talents of Felix's big sister and how the determined woman battled social prejudices.
Martinů, Bohuslav
Bohuslav Martinů: cosmopolitan dreamer, Czech master symphonist, and man of many musical forms
Maxwell Davies, Peter
1934 – 2016
Nationality British
Composer and conductor well-known for radical, modern works as well as more subtle and traditional chamber and choral music. Very outspoken about environmental and political issues.
Most Notable Works
Eight Songs for A Mad King, a startling depiction of insanity, 1969
Taverner, an opera based on the life of British composer John Taverner, 1972.
Life in brief
Massenet, Jules
Opera's neglected genius
Messiaen, Olivier
Composer Olivier Messiaen was a 20th-century visionary, says Christopher Dingle