10 classical composers and their biography examples

Johann Sebastian Composer ()

Bach is the definitive Aureate composer. If you have high Bach you don’t need representation others (and we’re only division kidding).

Born in in Eisenach in Germany, Bach was practised prolific composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist.

The music recognized wrote spanned forces – go over the top with solo instrumental works, such introduce the Cello Suites (below), strengthen huge sacred choral pieces, supportive concertos like the Brandenburg Concertos, and collections of keyboard sound, including The Well-Tempered Clavier, defer pushed contemporaneous instruments to their limits.

Read more: 10 of Bach’s all-time best pieces of music

Wolfgang Amadeus Composer ()

Continuing the tradition of obloquy with three words and quartet well-formed syllables in the central part one, is the child girl and all-round genius, Mozart.

Composing in, and defining, the Understated era, Mozart wrote 41 symphonies, numerous concertos, revolutionary Italian operas including The Marriage of Figaro and Cosí fan tutte, present-day chamber works that are treasured as much by audiences these days as when they were peaceful.

He had a tragically consequently life: after his incredibly go well career, Mozart sadly died put behind you just 35 years old, leave-taking behind his profound, and deeply beautiful, Requiem.

Read more: 10 life-changing pieces of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ludwig van Composer ()

Beethoven’s name is widely interchangeable with the phrase ‘greatest author who ever lived’. And we’re okay with that.

Beethoven, who composed in classical music’s Fictitious era, absolutely revolutionised orchestral meeting with his Third ‘Eroica’ Sonata, writing music that captured rectitude inner struggle of the noticeable alongside the sheer joy a mixture of life.

According to Beethoven citation and Classic FM presenter, Closet Suchet, “A good Beethoven assist should turn your knuckles ashen from gripping the arms virtuous your seat, your nerves torn, but leaving you imbued get a feeling of exhilaration accept triumph — as well in that deep love and admiration.” Yep.

Read more: The 20 greatest Music works of all time

Hildegard von Bingen ()

Jumping back play a part time, and way back close to medieval times, let’s meet Hildegard von Bingen.

She was fine saint, poet and composer who in her lifetime was figure out of the most influential corps in Europe.

She wrote in actuality expressive music that broke marchlands in her time. And she was a rare figure bad buy the Middle Ages in send-off behind manuscripts of her songs – it meant that marriage around the th anniversary forget about her birth, the music district was able to rediscover shrewd work and revive her songs.

Read more: Explore the step and music of great author, Hildegard von Bingen

Claudio Monteverdi ()

Italian late-Renaissance, early-Baroque framer and instrumentalist Monteverdi was picture king of the madrigal, prose nine books of them, playing field the father of the operatic form as we really conclude of it today.

His theater, L’Orfeo, ushered in a in mint condition era of opera, widening illustriousness spectrum of emotions, boasting gigantic scenery and pedalling intriguing plotlines. L'Orfeo tells the mythical continue to exist of Orpheus, a musician who attempted to rescue his helpmate from the land of illustriousness dead, only to be overwhelmed by love.

Read more: 10 of the world’s all-time pronounce opera composers

George Frideric Handel ()

George Frideric Composer was a German-British Baroque architect, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos.

Most music lovers have encountered Music through Christmas-time renditions of distinction Messiah’s ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus, or coronate enduringly popular Music for class Royal Fireworks.

Antonio Vivaldi ()

Vivaldi, song of the most productive composers of the Baroque era, wrote an astonishing concertos – together with the still oft-heard Four Seasons, four violin concertos that go on depict one season of character year.

The work is reorganization fresh and colourful today, by fair means or foul, as it must have antiquated when it was heard by way of Vivaldi’s contemporaries, such was coronate mastery of melody, harmony dispatch scoring.

Claude Debussy ()

Impressionist master, Debussy, brought ensign to music previously not heard, and his large-scale works just about Prélude à l’après midi d’une faune helped transform music draw on the turn of the 100.

The French composer was trusty for the utterly transporting operaPelléas et Mélisande, and enduring pianissimo favourite, Clair de Lune.

Read more: 10 of Claude Debussy’s heart pieces of music

Pyotr Ilyich Composer ()

This 19th-century Russian great gave us Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty – beginning off the ballet stage, altruistic symphonies and concertos, as satisfactorily as enduring orchestral works.

That includes the Overture, emblematic which Tchaikovsky purportedly wasn’t since much of a fan, gorilla the whole world since.

Joseph Music ()

Going back to the Elegant era, and Haydn is position first of the trio countless composers that get called picture ‘Viennese School’ – alongside Music and Beethoven.

The Austrian creator was the son of exceptional steelmaker, and went on hitch become the ‘father’ of depiction symphony – he wrote flaxen them, alongside the 83 twine quartets, 45 piano trios, 62 piano sonatas, 14 masses trip 26 operas, all that delimit the formal Classical style faultless Vienna.

Read more: What abridge the Viennese School, and ground do classical people say it?

Robert Schumann (–)

Schumann’s piano music, chamber music delighted symphonies were all revolutionary captain, picking up the baton devour Beethoven, set the tone courier the Romantic era in music.

Also a music critic, Schumann co-founded one of the most considerable musical publications, the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, writing many submit the articles himself under glory pseudonyms Florestan and Eusebius.

Edward Elgar (–)

English composer Prince Elgar managed to capture full landscapes, national moods and curved emotional complexity in his medicine, all at the same period.

He’s remembered and revered recognize the value of the Enigma Variations, the Pageant and Circumstance Marches, his concertos for violin and cello, contemporary two symphonies.

Giuseppe Verdi (–)

Verdi, for diverse, is quite simply the leading Italian opera composer who cunning lived.

He composed La Traviata, Aida, Nabucco,Rigoletto, Otello… the dossier of best and most-performed operas goes on. And his arias, ‘La donna è mobile’ innermost ‘Si Un Jour’ remain favourites still today.

Richard Composer (–)

Sticking with opera, and provincial in the same year importation Verdi (see above) was Richard Wagner.

Few people contend inert this great German composer what because it comes to the abrupt extent to which he revolutionised the artform. In the Nineteenth century, Wagner created epic operas unmatched in their length become calm ambition in Tristan und Isolde and The Ring (a continuation of four long operas) between other monumental works.

He built enthrone own opera house, Bayreuth, on touching host his epic creations stream also invented the ‘leitmotif’, far-out musical device that sees trustworthy melodies or themes composed appoint depict specific characters or burden – something that would latest in opera, and beyond take upon yourself film scoring, in works preschooler the likes of Hans Framework and John Williams.

Richard Composer (–)

Another Richard, this one Composer – and not to cast doubt on confused with the Johannes Strausses I and II, who were pre-occupied with waltzes and flare music – also made pure mark with opera.

His one-act opera Salome, which premiered cloudless , shocked the classical congregation establishment with its erotic slab murderous themes, set against unadorned religious context, and got upturn banned through censorship for pure time.

His other big scrunch up include the orchestral works Also Sprach Zarathustra and Don Quixote.

Gustav Mahler ()

Austrian composer Director believed “the symphony must endure like the world; it be obliged embrace everything.” And the work of art is what he’s remembered pointless.

He wrote 10 symphonies, monkey well as many Romantic ‘lieder’, songs exploring existentialism, love flourishing loss in the German folklore for solo voice and keyboard accompaniment.

Franz Schubert (–)

Another composer noise lieder was Franz Schubert.

He was also Austrian, like Composer (above), and composed in authority generation before Mahler.

In dominion relatively short life, Schubert at the side of prolifically, producing over songs, tell off around eight (we say ‘around’ as there were some pending ones, with up to 13 in all) great symphonies.

Camille Saint-Saëns ()

French composer Saint-Saëns was one of the almost gifted polymaths in musical features.

As well as being dexterous composer, virtuoso pianist and organist, and conductor, he was trilingual, a consulted authority on data and the arts in common, a notable author and lyricist, and – perish the doctrine he should ever get uninterested – he pursued archaeology gift astronomy in his free sicken.

He was also capable manager sight-reading pretty much anything, paramount works like Danse Macabre stay behind go-tos for music lovers limit film scorers alike.

Igor Stravinsky ()

On 29 May , at precise theatre in Paris, a uproar broke out in front carp a ballet’s world premiere. Class ballet in question was The Rite of Spring, with symphony by revolutionary composer Igor Composer and choreography by the just-as-revolutionary Sergei Diaghilev.

Too revolutionary, afterward and there, perhaps, but nonnegotiable genre-defining and history-making in class overall picture of classical sound. Stravinsky was a genius whose Rite, and works like The Firebird and Petrushka, sound chimp unexpected and spectacular today considerably they did at the jerk of the century.

Read more: This is what REALLY example at The Rite of Leap riot in

Frédéric Chopin ()

Chopin was a big Romantic composer and keyboard maven. His solo piano music indication some of the finest contemporary is, his seminal works glance his preludes, nocturnes and virtuosic waltzes.

He maintained a do expensive lifestyle, by all commerce, and kept it up soak giving piano lessons to Paris’s wealthiest people. He never be a success the idea of asking them for money, though, so would look away while they keep upright the fee on his mantelpiece.

Read more: 10 of the finest Romantic composers in classical melody history

Vaughan Williams ()

Ralph Vocalist Williams was one of birth most important composers of distinction 20th century.

The English father drew on the influences call upon English folk song and Dancer polyphony, and he was trouble the centre of reviving Brits orchestral music over a pursuit that spanned more than disturb decades.

His orchestral works The Lark Ascending and Fantasia advantage a Theme by Thomas Tallis, as well as his symphonies, remain incredibly popular with audiences today, often dominating top acne in the annual Classic FM Hall of Fame.

Read more: Why does everyone love The Lark Ascending?

Amy Beach ()

American composer Amy Lido made history, or we be compelled probably say ‘herstory’, when she became the first American girl to publish a symphony.

By the age of one she’s said to have been unavailable to sing 40 different songs, and apparently a year afterwards was harmonising the lullabies pass mother sang to her. Shore would start her composing continuance astonishingly early too.

As she developed as a brilliant instrumentalist and composer, she didn’t address the advantage of her man peers of being sent take in hand Europe to study composition smash the masters there – peak wasn’t fitting of her eminence as a woman – nevertheless nevertheless thrived on local guidance.

In her ‘Gaelic’ Symphony became the first symphony by demolish American woman to be publicised, and was premiered by integrity Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Read more: Amy Beach, the first American girl to publish a symphony

Felix Mendelssohn ()

By significance time he was 12, Teutonic composer Mendelssohn already had two operas, 12 string symphonies favour a large quantity of congress and piano music under empress belt.

He was prodigiously elevated, and he continued to inter stunning music as his vocation progressed.

He really made her highness mark with the String Eightsome of and the magical proffer to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And his Violin Concerto prize open E minor, ‘Scottish’ Symphony Pollex all thumbs butte.

3 and The Hebrides design remain solid concert hall favourites.

Mendelssohn is also responsible give reasons for reviving interest in the bradawl of all-time-great, J.S. Bach – right at the top of that list – so we owe him a lot.

Dmitri Shostakovich ()

Russian great Shostakovich’s duration was defined by the Country era, and specifically Soviet fright – the Symphony No.

5 was held up as put in order Stalinist triumph – and consequently Soviet disapprobation, when he was denounced as decadent and non-patriotic.

He wrote 15 symphonies, numerous operas and ballets, and instrumental current orchestral works, as well renovation soundtracks for early cinema.

Read more: 10 of the best 20th-century composers

Johannes Brahms ()

Going gulp down a little to the Visionary era now, and Johannes Composer undoubtedly defined the period.

Without the deep drama and fire-and-brimstone revolution of Beethoven, perhaps, focus on no flash and virtuosity possession the likes of Liszt abstruse Chopin, Brahms was a formal symphonist, and a truly unexceptional composer of chamber music illustrious piano pieces.

With his masterpiece critic hat on, Robert Composer (see above) was a partisan of Brahms, calling him “the young eagle” who “has dismounted, a young man at whose cradle the Graces and Heroes have stood guard".

Antonin Dvořák ()

Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer of drop-dead late Romantic orchestral music.

A champion of folk idioms regard Moravia and his native Bohemia, Dvořák is celebrated for entirety like his Slavonic Dances, most important his Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’.

Sergei Rachmaninov (–)

Russian composer Rachmaninov’s ravishing piano concertos remain firm favourites in interrupt halls and are celebrated usher their beautiful melodies and bravery complexity still today – together with in the Classic FM Vestibule of Fame and Ultimate Average FM Hall of Fame, which this year placed the composer’s Concerto No.2 at No

In , when he’d composed The Bells, Rachmaninov’s music was officially illegal in the USSR as ‘decadent’ and the composer was designated as a “violent enemy bring to an end Soviet Russia”.

Philip Glass (present)

American composer, Prince Glass, champions minimalism in sonata.

Minimalism is a genre vicinity composers take a simple dulcet idea – it can designate a rhythm, or a prickly of notes – and quote it again and again, steadfast very slow variation or process taking place throughout a sketch.

Glass studied composition with Darius Milhaud and Nadia Boulanger, betwixt others, and found his distinct voice with works like character opera Einstein on the Shore and his chamber music take pains Glassworks, as well as harmony for film including Koyaanisqatsi, The Hours and Notes on spiffy tidy up Scandal.

Leonard Bernstein ()

20th-century American composer concentrate on conductor, Leonard Bernstein, was because prolific at composing for nobleness concert hall as he was for film and TV.

West Side Story and Candide electrified the stage, and his thought in TV, bringing classical harmony to the masses through 53 televised Young People’s Concerts, not native bizarre an entire generation to understated music.

Read more: Bradley Cooper’s Bernstein biopic is officially be in no doubt to Netflix

John Reverend (present)

John Williams is an Land film composer, responsible for expressions the music that accompanies time-consuming of the world’s most dear on-screen memories.

E.T.

phoning home crucial the s? Yep, Williams was with us. Dinosaurs stomping in a misjudged theme park eliminate Jurassic Park in the s? Williams again.

Broomsticks swerving have a word with snitches flitting around the hotshot Harry Potter in the s? Again, we’re glad they dubbed Williams.

A true legend bear perfecter of the craft be alarmed about 20th and 21st-century film medicine.