Composers are people who write music.
A strong distinction is made amongst composers, lyricists and performers in such genres as classical and jazz. In other genres, such as popular and folk music, the term "songwriter", meaning someone who authors both music and lyrics, is more common than "composer"; a songwriter who also performs is a "singer/songwriter."
This page includes a list of composers sorted by genre. Other classifications can be found at:
- John Adams (born 1947)
- Louis Andriessen (born 1939)
- George Antheil (1900 - 1959)
- Malcolm Arnold[?] (born 1921)
- Milton Babbitt (born 1916)
- Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981)
- Clarence Barlow[?] (born ca. 1945 - )
- Jean Barraqué (1928 - 1973)
- Béla Bartók, (1881 - 1945)
- Arnold Bax (1883 - 1953)
- David Bedford (born 1937)
- Alban Berg (1885 - 1935)
- Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003)
- Irving Berlin (1888 - 1989)
- Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)
- Ronald Binge (1910 - 1969)
- Harrison Birtwistle (born 1934)
- Arthur Bliss (1891 - 1975)
- Ernest Bloch[?] (1880 - 1959)
- William Bolcom[?] (born 1938)
- Lili Boulanger[?] (1893 - 1918)
- Nadia Boulanger[?] (1887 - 1979)
- Pierre Boulez (born 1925)
- Frank Bridge[?] (1879 - 1941)
- Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)
- Gavin Bryars (born 1943)
- Diana Burrell[?] (born 1948)
- Alan Bush (1900 - 1995)
- George Butterworth (1885 - 1916)
- John Cage (1912 - 1992)
- Elliott Carter (born 1908)
- Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis[?] (1875 - 1911)
- Carlos Chavez[?] (1899-1978)
- Eric Coates[?] (1886 - 1957)
- Cecil Coles[?] (1888 - 1918)
- Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
- John Corigliano (born 1938)
- George Crumb (born 1929)
- Luigi Dallapiccola (1904 - 1975)
- Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)
- Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934)
- David Diamond[?] (born 1915)
- Madeleine Dring[?]
- Ross Edwards[?] (born 1943)
- Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962)
- Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934)
- Georges Enesco[?] (1881 - 1955)
- Manuel De Falla[?] (1876 - 1946)
- Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987)
- Brian Ferneyhough[?] (born 1943)
- Luc Ferrari (born 1929)
- Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956)
- Peter Racine Fricker[?] (born 1920)
- Johannes Fritsch, (born 1941)
- Patrick Frye III (born 1957)
- George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)
- Cecil Armstrong Gibbs[?] (1889 - 1960)
- Paul Gilson[?] (1965 - 1942)
- Alberto Ginastera[?] (1916 - 1983)
- Umberto Giordano[?] (1867 - 1948)
- Philip Glass (born 1937)
- Leopold Godowsky[?] (1870 - 1938)
- Carl Goldmark[?] (1830 - 1915)
- Henryk Górecki (born 1933)
- Morton Gould[?] (1913 - 1996)
- Percy Grainger (1882 - 1961)
- Enrique Granados[?] (1827 - 1916)
- Gérard Grisey[?] (1946 - 1998)
- Carmago Guarnieri[?] (1907 - 1993)
- Sofia Gubaidulina[?] (born 1931)
- Jeremy Haladyna
- Howard Hanson[?] (1896 - 1981)
- Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905 - 1963)
- Jake Heggie[?]
- Hans Werner Henze[?]
- Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975)
- Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963)
- Leslie Hogan[?]
- Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934)
- Arthur Honegger (1892 - 1955)
- Mark-David Hosale
- Alan Hovhaness, (1911-2000)
- Hans Ulrich Humpert[?]
- Philippe Hurel[?]
- Jacques Ibert[?]
- John Ireland, (1883-1887)
- Charles Ives (1874 - 1954)
- Leos Janácek (1854 - 1928)
- Mauricio Kagel (born 1931)
- Nicolas Kaviani (1977 - )
- Aram Khachaturian, (1903-1978)
- Oliver Knussen[?]
- Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967)
- William Kraft
- Ladislav Kupkovic (born 1936)
- Helmut Lachenmann (1935 - )
- Eastwood Lane (1879 - 1951)
- Philippe Leroux[?]
- György Ligeti, (born 1923)
- Witold Lutoslawski[?]
- Elisabeth Lutyens[?]
- James Macmillan[?]
- Elizabeth Maconchy[?]
- Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911)
- Frank Martin (1890 - 1974)
- Steve Martland[?]
- Peter Maxwell Davies[?]
- Bohuslav Martinu (1890 - 1959)
- Nicholas Maw[?]
- Gian-Carlo Menotti
- Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)
- Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974)
- Luca Miti, (born 1957)
- E.J. Moeran[?]
- Tristan Murail[?]
- Modest Mussorgsky, (1839-1881)
- Conlon Nancarrow (1912 - 1997)
- Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931)
- Luigi Nono[?] (1924 - 1990)
- Michael Nyman (born 1944)
- Sergio Roberto de Oliveira[?]
- Carl Orff (1895 - 1982)
- Andrzej Panufnik[?]
- Roxanna Panufnik[?]
- Hubert Parry, (1848 - 1918)
- Arvo Pärt, (1935 - )
- Harry Partch, (1901-1974)
- Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933)
- Scott Perry[?]
- Alan Pettersson[?]
- Walter Piston[?]
- Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)
- Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
- Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
- Einojuhani Rautavaara[?]
- Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
- Alan Rawsthorne[?]
- Steve Reich (born 1936)
- Silvestre Revueltas[?] (1899-1940)
- Terry Riley (born 1935)
- Ned Rorem[?]
- Nino Rota (1911 - 1979)
- Albert Roussel[?]
- Edmund Rubbra[?]
- Carl Ruggles[?]
- John Rutter[?]
- Frederic Rzewski[?]
- Aulis Sallinen[?]
- Erik Satie (1866-1925)
- Florent Schmidt[?]
- Franz Schmidt (1874 - 1939)
- Alfred Schnittke[?]
- Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
- Gunther Schuller[?]
- William Schuman (1910-1992)
- Peter Sculthorpe[?]
- Roger Sessions[?] (1896- )
- Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
- Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
- Robert Simpson (1921 - 1997)
- Nikos Skalkottas[?] (1904 - 1949)
- Juan Maria Solare (1966 - )
- Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 - 1924)
- Rudi Stephan[?] (1887 - 1915)
- Karlheinz Stockhausen (born 1928)
- Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
- Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
- Giles Swayne[?] (born 1946)
- Karol Szymanowski[?] (1882 - 1937)
- Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996)
- Mikis Theodorakis (born 1925)
- John Thompson
- Virgil Thomson (1896 - 1989)
- Michael Tippett (1905 - 1998)
- Michael Torke[?] (born 1961)
- David Del Tredici[?] (born 1937)
- Eduard Tubin[?] (1905 - 1982)
- Mark-Anthony Turnage (born 1960)
- Erkki-Sven Tüür[?] (born 1959)
- Geirr Tveitt[?] (1908 - 1981)
- Moisei Vainberg[?] (1919 - 1996)
- Edgar Varese, (1883 - 1965)
- Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
- Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
- David Ward-Steinman (born 1936)
- Justin Weaver (born 1978)
- Anton Webern (1883-1945)
- Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
- Malcolm Williamson (1931 - 2003)
- Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948)
- Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001)
- La Monte Young (born 1935)
- Frank Zappa, (1940-1993)
- Ellen Zwilich (1939-)
Film composers
Many classical composers have also written music for films. The following is a list of composers best known for their film work:
- Count Basie, (1904-1984)
- Dave Brubeck, (born 1920)
- John Coltrane, (1926-1967)
- Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, (1899-1974)
- Herbie Hancock, (born 1940)
- Krzysztof Komeda[?]
- Jelly Roll Morton, (1890-1941)
- Charles Mingus, (1922-1979)
- Thelonious Monk, (1920-1982)
- Charlie Parker, (1920-1955)
- Billy Strayhorn[?], (1915-1967)
- Fats Waller, (1904-1943)
- Clarence Williams, (1893-1965)
- Charles Aznavour, (born 1924)
- Irving Berlin, (1888-1989)
- Billy Bragg, (born 1957)
- Brian Eno, (born 1948)
- George Gershwin, (1898-1937)
- Ira Gershwin, (1896-1983)
- Mick Jagger, (born 1943)
- Jean Michel Jarre
- Elton John, (born 1947)
- John Lennon, (1940-1980)
- Paul McCartney, (died 1988)
- George Michael, (born 1963)
- Joni Mitchell, (born 1943)
- Mike Oldfield, (born 1953)
- Roy Orbison, (1936-1988)
- Neil Sedaka[?], (born 1939)
- Chris Smith, (1879-1949)
- Bernie Taupin, (born 1950)
- Albert Von Tilzer, (1878-1956)
- Harry Von Tilzer, (1872-1946)
- Frank Zappa, (1940-1993)
- Bojan Adamic[?], (born 1912)
- José Afonso[?]
- Gregor Aichinger, (c. 1565-1628)
- Franco Alfano[?]
- Steve Allen, (1921-2000)
- Keil do Amaral[?]
- Thomas Ambroise[?], (1811-1896)
- August Wilhelm Ambros, (1816-1876)
- Laurie Anderson, (born 1947)
- Pasquale Anfossi[?]
- Paul Anka, (born 1941)
- Giuseppe Apolloni[?]
- Desi Arnaz, (1917-1986)
- Pasqual Juan Emilio Arrieta y Corera[?] (1823 - 1924)
- Emilio Arrieta[?]
- Ignaz Assmayer[?], (born 1790)
- Chet Atkins, (1924-2001)
- Georges Auric, (1899-1983)
- Slavko Avsenik, (born 1949)
- Vilko Avsenik[?]
- Burt Bacharach, (born 1928)
- Tadeus Baird[?]
- Mily Balakirev, (1836-1910)
- Hank Ballard, (1936-2003)
- Adriano Banchieri, (c. 1557-1634)
- Seymour Barab[?], (born 1921)
- Sabine Baring-Gould, (1834-1924)
- Gerald Barry[?]
- Dave Bartholomew[?]
- Felix Mendelssohn Bartoldy[?], (1809-1847)
- Thomas Beard[?], (born 1962)
- Ralph Benatzky[?], (1884-1957)
- Julius Benedict[?], (born 1804)
- Elmer Bernstein, (born 1922)
- Eubie Blake, (1883-1983)
- Terrence Blanchard[?]
- Zdenek Blazek[?], (1905-1988)
- William Boyce, (born 1711)
- Sadasiva Bramhendra[?]
- Goran Bregovic
- Jacques Brel, (1929-1978)
- Matteo Carcassi, (Florence, 1792-Paris, 1853)
- Hoagy Carmichael, (1899-1981)
- Ferdinando Carulli[?]
- Alfredo Casella[?], (1883-1947)
- Alfredo Catalani[?]
- Marc Antonio Cesti, (1623-1669)
- Graham Chapman, (1941-1989)
- Ch'eng Mao-yün, (1900-1957)
- Francesco Cilea
- Avery Claflin[?], (died 1979)
- Kenny Clarke[?], (born 1914)
- Johnny Clegg, (born 1953)
- Albert Coates[?], (1882-1953)
- Cy Coleman[?], (born 1929)
- Rus Columbo[?], (born 1908)
- Carmine Coppola[?], (died 1991)
- Phil Coulter[?]
- Ciril Cvetko[?], (1920-1999)
- Jacob Thune Hansen Gade[?]
- Jacobus Gallus, (1550-1591)
- Pauline Garcia-Viardot, (1821-1910)
- Denis Gaultier, (died 1672)
- Edward German, (1862-1936)
- Don Carlo Gesualdo[?]
- Luis Gianneo[?], (born 1897)
- Jean Gilbert[?], (born 1879)
- Mauro Giuliani[?]
- Louis Glass[?]
- Jackie Gleason, (1916-1987)
- Radovan Gobec[?], (born 1909)
- Alexander Godunov[?], (born 1949)
- Jani Golob[?], (born 1948)
- Antonio Carlos Gomes, (1836-1896)
- Michael Gordon[?]
- Louis Moreau Gottschalk[?]
- Glenn Gould, (1932-1982)
- Morton Gould[?], (1913-1996)
- Fernando Lopes Graça[?]
- Enrique Granados[?], (1827-1916)
- Stephane Grappelli, (1908-1997)
- Alexander Grechaninov[?]
- Adolph Green, (1914-2002)
- Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé[?]
- Carlos Guastavino, (1912-2000)
- Johan Halvorsen, (1864-1935)
- Marvin Hamlisch[?], (born 1944)
- Jan Hammer[?], (born 1948)
- Albert Hammond[?], (born 1942)
- W.C. Handy, (1873-1958)
- Howard Hansen[?], (born 1896)
- Lou Harrison, (1917-2003)
- John Hartford, (1937-2001)
- Hamilton Harty[?]
- Johann A. Hasse[?], (died 1783)
- Pieter Hellendaal[?], (1721-1799)
- Victor Herbert, (1859-1924)
- Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, (1776-1822)
- Karl Holler[?], (1907-1987)
- Julia Ward Howe, (1819-1910)
- Herbert Howells, (1892-1983)
- Ferdinand Huber[?], (died 1863)
- Engelbert Humperdinck, (1854-1921)
- David Hykes
- Dmitry Kabalevsky[?], (1904-1987)
- Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, (1876-1909)
- Jerome David Kern, (1885-1945)
- Francis Scott Key, (1779-1843)
- Wojciech Kilar, (born 1932)
- Carole King, (born 1942)
- William Kinloch[?]
- Don Kirshner[?], (born 1934)
- Paul August von Klenau[?], (born 1883)
- Urban Koder[?], (born 1928)
- Charles Koechlin[?], (born 1867)
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold[?]
- Jani Kovacic[?]
- Marjan Kozina[?], (1907-1965)
- Alexey Kozlovsky[?], (died 1977)
- William Kraft
- Johann Tobias Krebs, (died 1762)
- Fritz Kreisler[?]
- Daniel Lanois
- Orlande de Lassus, (ca. 1532-1594)
- Calixa Lavallée[?], (died 1891)
- Jean Marie Leclair[?]
- Ernesto Lecuona[?]
- Franz Lehár, (1870-1948)
- Jerry Leiber[?], (born 1933)
- Alfonso Leng, (1894-1974)
- Oscar Levant[?], (1906-1972)
- Primo Levi, (1919-1987)
- Rolf Liebermann[?], (died 1999)
- Marijan Lipovsek[?], (1910-1995)
- Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, (1760-1836)
- Duarte Lobo[?]
- Luzzasco Luzzaschi[?]
- Alessandro Marcello[?]
- Vicente Martin y Soler[?], (died 1806)
- Pietro Mascagni, (Livorno 1863-Rome 1945)
- Jules Massenet[?]
- Peter Matz[?], (1928-2002)
- Rod McKuen[?], (born 1933)
- Giuseppe Mercadante[?]
- Saverio Mercadante, (born 1795)
- Maceo Meriwether[?]
- Jacomo Meyerbeer[?]
- Stevan Mokranjac[?], (born 1856)
- Federico Mompou[?]
- Stanislaw Moniuszko[?]
- Dudley Moore, (1935-2002)
- Reinhold Moritzovich Gliere[?], (1875-1956)
- Giorgio Moroder, (born 1940)
- Ennio Morricone, (born 1928)
- Steve Morse[?]
- Meredith Monk[?]
- Leopold Mozart, (1719-1787)
- Giovanni Pacini, (1796-1867)
- Ignace Paderewski[?], (born 1860)
- Ignacy Paderewski[?], (born 1860)
- Andrzej Panufnik[?]
- Giovanni Paisiello
- Stefan Paluselli[?], (born 1748)
- Paul Paray, (1886-1979)
- Tomaz Pengov[?]
- Francesco Pennisi[?], (born 1934)
- Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710-1736)
- Oto Pestner[?]
- Goffredo Petrassi[?]
- Hans Pfitzner, (1869-1949)
- Niccola Piccinni, (1728-1800)
- Johann Gottfried Piefke, (1815-1884)
- Willem Pijper[?]
- Ildebrando Pizzetti[?]
- Doc Pomus, (1925-1991)
- Amilcare Ponchielli, (1834-1886)
- Niccola Antonio Porpora, (1686-1767)
- Cole Porter, (1891-1964)
- Micheal Praetorius[?]
- Zbigniew Preisner, (born 1955)
- André Previn, (born 1929)
- Joze Privsek[?], (1937-1998)
- Giacomo Puccini, (1858-1924)
- Loisa Puget[?], (born 1810)
- Jean-Philippe Rameau[?], (1683-1764)
- Janko Ravnik[?], (1891-1982)
- Thomas Ravenscroft[?]
- Fred Raymond[?], (1900-1954)
- Sam Raymond[?]
- Hans Redlich[?], (born 1903)
- Renaud[?], (born 1952)
- Wolfgang Rihm[?], (born 1952)
- Lee Ritenour[?], (born 1952)
- Johnny Rivers[?], (born 1942)
- Curtis Roads[?]
- Nile Rodgers, (born 1952)
- Richard Rodgers, (1902-1979)
- Joaquín Rodrigo, (1901-1999)
- Sigmund Romberg[?], (1887-1951)
- Jubertino Rosas[?]
- Nikolai Grigoryevich Rubinstein[?], (1835-1881)
- Ryuichi Sakamoto, (born 1942)
- Adi Sankara, (c. 788-820)
- Syama Sastry[?]
- Pierre Schaeffer, (1910-1995)
- Peter Schickele, (born 1935)
- Gustav Schmidt[?], (died 1882)
- William Schumann[?], (1910-1992)
- Gil Scott-Heron, (born 1949)
- Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin[?], (1871-1915)
- Edmund H. Sears[?], (died 1876)
- Erik Anthon Valdemar Siboni[?], (died 1892)
- Mojmir Sepe[?], (born 1930)
- Kazimierz Serocki[?], (died 1981)
- Doc Severinsen[?], (born 1927)
- Franz Shubert, (born 1797)
- Andrej Sifrer[?]
- Les Six, (1899-1983)
- Nicolas Slonimsky, (1894-1995)
- Adi Smolar[?]
- Giovanni Sollima[?]
- Stephen Sondheim, (born 1930)
- Natsume Soseki, (1867-1916)
- John Philip Sousa, (1854-1932)
- Gaspare Spontini
- Alojz Srebotnjak[?], (born 1931)
- John Stanley, (1712-1786)
- Agostino Steffani[?]
- Max Steiner, (1888-1971)
- Jim Steinman, (born 1948)
- Henryk Szulc[?], (died 1903)