List of 20th century classical composers - Definition and Overview

Composers of 20th century classical music include:

A

• Michael Abels (born 1962)
• Muhal Richard Abrams (born 1930)
• John Coolidge Adams (born 1947)
• John Luther Adams (born 1953)
• Richard Addinsell (1904 - 1977)
• Ahn Eak-tae (1906 - 1965)
• Franco Alfano (1975 - 1954)
• Hugo Alfven (1872 - 1960)
• Maryanne Amacher (born 1943)
• Charles Amirkhanian (born 1945)
• Beth Anderson (born 1950)
• Louis Andriessen (born 1939)
• Jurriaan Andriessen (1925 - 1996)
• George Antheil (1900 - 1959)
• Denis ApIvor (1916 - 2004)
• Malcolm Arnold (born 1921)
• Robert Ashley (born 1930)
• Kurt Atterberg (1887 - 1974)
• Georges Auric (1899 - 1983)
• Larry Austin (born 1930)

B

• Milton Babbitt (born 1916)
• Leonardo Balada (born 1933)
• Granville Bantock (1968 - 1946)
• Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981)
• Clarence Barlow (born ca. 1945)
• Jean Barraqué (1928 - 1973)
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945)
• Arnold Bax (1883 - 1953)
• Amy Beach (1867 - 1944)
• David Bedford (born 1937)
• David Behrman (born 1937)
• Derek Bell (1935 - 2002)
• Barbara Benary (born 1946)
• Juraj Benes (1940 - 2004)
• George Benjamin (born 1960)
• Richard Rodney Bennett (born 1936)
• Alban Berg (1885 - 1935)
• Arthur Berger (1912 - 2003)
• Wilhelm Peterson Berger (1867 - 1942)
• Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003)
• Lennox Berkeley (1903 - 1989)
• Bart Berman (born 1938)
• Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)
• Danilo Bestagno
• Gilbert Biberian (born 1944)
• Ronald Binge (1910 - 1969)
• Harrison Birtwistle (born 1934)
• Marcel Bitsch (born 1921)
• Easley Blackwood (born 1933)
• Arthur Bliss (1891 - 1975)
• Marc Blitzstein (1905 - 1964)
• Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959)
• William Bolcom (born 1938)
• Lili Boulanger (1893 - 1918)
• Nadia Boulanger (1887 - 1979)
• Pierre Boulez (born 1925)
• Paul Bowles (1910 - 1999)
• Eugène Bozza (1905 - 1991)
• Joly Braga Santos (1924 - 1988)
• Glenn Branca (born 1948)
• Henry Brant (born 1913)
• Anthony Braxton (born 1945)
• Havergal Brian (1876 - 1972)
• Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941)
• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)
• Max Brod (1884 - 1968)
• Earle Brown (1926 - 2002)
• Elisabetta Brusa (born 1954)
• Gavin Bryars (born 1943)
• Willy Burkhard (1900 - 1955)
• Diana Burrell (born 1948)
• Alan Bush (1900 - 1995)
• Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924)
• Sylvano Bussotti (born 1931)
• George Butterworth (1885 - 1916)

C

• John Cage (1912 - 1992)
• Joseph Canteloube (1879 - 1957)
• André Caplet (1878 - 1925)
• Cornelius Cardew (1936 - 1981)
• Wendy Carlos (born 1939)
• John Alden Carpenter (1876 - 1951)
• Elliott Carter (born 1908)
• Tristram Cary (born 1925)
• Alfredo Casella (1883 - 1847)
• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968)
• Cécile Chaminade (1857 - 1944)
• Gustave Charpentier (1860 - 1956)
• Rhys Chatham (born 1952)
• Carlos Chávez (1899 - 1978)
• Mary Ellen Childs (born 1957)
• Unsuk Chin (born 1961)
• Heinz Chur (born 1948)
• Francesco Cilea (1966 - 1950)
• Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1875 - 1911)
• Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979)
• Eric Coates (1886 - 1957)
• Gloria Coates (born 1938)
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 - 1912)
• Cecil Coles (1888 - 1918)
• Nicolas Collins (born 1954)
• Justin Connolly (born 1933)
• Edgar Cook (1880 - 1953)
• Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)
• John Corigliano (born 1938)
• Henry Cowell (1897 - 1965)
• Ruth Crawford-Seeger (1901 - 1953)
• Paul Creston (1906 - 1985)
• George Crumb (born 1929)
• Alvin Curran (born 1938)

D

• Luigi Dallapiccola (1904 - 1975)
• Richard Danielpour (born 1956)
• Ivor Darreg (1917 - 1994)
• Gábor Darvas (1911 - 1985)
• Johann Nepomuk David (1895 - 1977)
• Peter Maxwell Davies (born 1934)
• Walford Davies (1869 - 1944)
• Mario Davidovsky (born 1934)
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)
• Richard deCosta (born 1971)
• Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934)
• Edison Denisov (1929 - 1996)
• Shaun Davey (born about 1950)
• David Diamond (born 1915)
• Paul Dirmeikis (born 1954)
• Stephen Dodgson (born 1924)
• Ernö Dohnányi (1877 - 1960)
• Daniel Dorff (born 1956)
• Felix Draeseke (1835 - 1913)
• Arnold Dreyblatt (born 1953)
• Madeleine Dring (1923 - 1977)
• John W Duarte (1919 - 2004)
• William Duckworth (born 1943)
• Paul Dukas (1865 - 1935)
• Tan Dun (born 1957)
• Marcel Dupré (1886 - 1971)
• Joël-François Durand (born 1954)
• Maurice Duruflé (1902 - 1986)
• Pascal Dusapin (born 1955)
• Henri Dutilleux (born 1916)
• Roland Dyens (born 1955)

E

• Ross Edwards (born 1943)
• Gottfried von Einem (1918 - 1996)
• Ludovico Einaudi (born 1955)
• Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962)
• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934)
• JAK Ellis
• George Enescu (1881 - 1955)
• Robert Erickson (1917 - 1997)
• Alvin Etler (1913 - 1973)
• Pierre Even (born 1946)

F

• Manuel De Falla (1876 - 1946)
• Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987)
• Brian Ferneyhough (born 1943)
• Luc Ferrari (born 1929)
• Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956)
• Ertuğrul Oğuz Fırat (born 1922)
• David First (born 1953)
• Carlisle Floyd (born 1926)
• Henry Flynt (born 1940)
• Jean Françaix (1912 - 1997)
• Benjamin Frankel (1906 - 1973)
• Peter Racine Fricker (1920 - 1990)
• Johannes Fritsch (born 1941)
• Ellen Fullman (born 1957)

G

• Kenneth Gaburo (1926 - 1993)
• Kyle Gann (born 1955)
• Peter Garland (born 1952)
• Roberto Gerhardt (1896 - 1970)
• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)
• Vittorio Giannini (1903 - 1966)
• Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960)
• Jon Gibson (born 1940)
• Paul Gilson (1865 - 1942)
• Alberto Ginastera (1916 - 1983)
• Umberto Giordano (1867 - 1948)
• Ruth Gipps (1921 - 1999)
• Janice Giteck (born 1946)
• Philip Glass (born 1937)
• Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938)
• Heiner Goebbels (born 1952)
• Alexander Goehr (born 1932)
• Carl Goldmark (1830 - 1915)
• Henryk Górecki (born 1933)
• Annie Gosfield (born 1960)
• Morton Gould (1913 - 1996)
• Percy Grainger (1882 - 1961)
• Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916)
• Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920)
• Gérard Grisey (1946 - 1998)
• Eivind Groven (1901 - 1977)
• Camargo Guarnieri (1907 - 1993)
• Sofia Gubaidulina (born 1931)
• Henry Gwiazda (born 1952)

H

• Jeremy Haladyna
• Howard Hanson (1896 - 1981)
• Lou Harrison (1917 - 2003)
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905 - 1963)
• Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959)
• Jake Heggie
• Pierre Henry
• Hans Werner Henze (born 1926)
• Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975)
• Willy Hess
• Lejaren Hiller (1924 - 1994)
• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963)
• Leslie Hogan
• Vagn Holmboe (1909 - 1996)
• Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934)
• Arthur Honegger (1892 - 1955)
• Antony Hopkins (born 1921)
• Sarah Hopkins (born 1958)
• Mark-David Hosale
• Eleanor Hovda
• Alan Hovhaness (1911 - 2000)
• Dobri Hristov (1875 - 1941)
• Hans Ulrich Humpert
• Jerry Hunt (1943 - 1993)
• Philippe Hurel (born 1955)

I

• Jacques Ibert (1890 - 1962)
• John Ireland (1883 - 1962)
• Charles Ives (1874 - 1954)

J

• Gordon Jacob (1895 - 1984)
• Leoš Janáček (1854 - 1928)
• Leroy Jenkins (born 1932)
• Tom Johnson (born 1939)
• Ben Johnston (born 1926)
• André Jolivet (1905 - 1974)

K

• Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904 - 1987)
• Mauricio Kagel (born 1931)
• Giya Kancheli (born 1935)
• Shigeru Kan-no (born 1959)
• Nicolas Kaviani (born 1977)
• Aaron Jay Kernis (born 1960)
• Aram Khachaturian (1903 - 1978)
• Tikhon Khrennikov (born 1913)
• Phil Kline
• Oliver Knussen (born 1952)
• Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967)
• Charles Koechlin (1867 - 1950)
• William Kraft (born 1923)
• Ernst Krenek (1900 - 1991)
• Andreas Kunstein (born 1967)
• Ladislav Kupkovic (born 1936)

L

• Joan LaBarbara (born 1947)
• Juan Sebastian Lach (born 1970)
• Helmut Lachenmann (born 1935)
• Constant Lambert (1905 - 1951)
• Eastwood Lane (1879 - 1951)
• Paul Lansky (born 1944)
• Morten Lauridsen (born 1943)
• Mary Jane Leach (born 1949)
• Anne Lebaron (born 1953)
• Wadada Leo Smith (born 1941)
• David Lang (born 1957)
• Lars-Erik Larsson (1908 - 1986)
• Elodie Lauten
• Jón Leifs (1899 - 1968)
• Philippe Leroux (born 1959)
• György Ligeti (born 1923)
• Douglas Lilburn (1915 - 2001)
• Annea Lockwood (born 1939)
• Alvin Lucier (born 1931)
• Witold Lutoslawski (1913 - 1994)
• Elisabeth Lutyens (1906 - 1983)

M

• François-Bernard Mâche (born 1935)
• James Macmillan (born 1959)
• Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994)
• Bruno Maderna (1920 - 1973)
• David Mahler (born 1944)
• Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911)
• Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882 - 1973)
• Philippe Manoury (born 1952)
• Bunita Marcus (born 1952)
• Ingram Marshall (born 1942)
• Frank Martin (1890 - 1974)
• Steve Martland (born 1959)
• David Maslanka (born 1943)
• Colin Matthews (born 1946)
• David Matthews (born 1943)
• Peter Maxwell Davies (born 1934)
• Bohuslav Martinu (1890 - 1959)
• Nicholas Maw (born 1935)
• Colin McPhee (1900 - 1964)
• Peter Mennin (1923 - 1983)
• Gian-Carlo Menotti (born 1911)
• Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)
• Francisco Mignone (1897 - 1986)
• Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974)
• Roscoe Mitchell (born 1940)
• Luca Miti (born 1957)
• Ernest John Moeran (1894 - 1950)
• Federico Mompou (1893 - 1987)
• Meredith Monk (born 1942)
• Douglas Stuart Moore (1893 - 1969)
• Gordon Mumma (born 1935)
• Tristan Murail (born 1947)
• Nikolai Myaskovsky (1851 - 1950)
• Pietro Mascagni (1863 - 1945)

N

• Conlon Nancarrow (1912 - 1997)
• Vaclav Nelhybel (1919 - 1996)
• Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931)
• Luigi Nono (1924 - 1990)
• Michael Nyman (born 1944)

O

• Sergio Roberto de Oliveira
• Pauline Oliveros (born 1932)
• Daphne Oram
• Carl Orff (1895 - 1982)
• Sean Ó Riada (1931 - 1971)
• Willson Osborne (1906 - 1979)

P

• Paul Panhuysen
• Andrzej Panufnik (1914 - 1991)
• Roxanna Panufnik
• Carlos Paredes
• Charles Hubert Parry (1848 - 1918)
• Arvo Pärt (born 1935)
• Harry Partch (1901 - 1974)
• Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933)
• Scott Perry
• Allan Pettersson (1911 - 1980)
• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992)
• Walter Piston (1894 - 1976)
• Larry Polansky (born 1954)
• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)
• Simon Proctor
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

R

• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943)
• Eliane Radigue (born 1932)
• Priaulx Rainier (1903 - 1986)
• Einojuhani Rautavaara (born 1928)
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)
• Alan Rawsthorne (1905 - 1971)
• Alfred Reed (born 1921)
• Steve Reich (born 1936)
• Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936)
• Silvestre Revueltas (1899 - 1940)
• Roger Reynolds (born 1934)
• Wolfgang Rihm (born 1952)
• Terry Riley (born 1935)
• George Rochberg (born 1918)
• Joaquin Rodrigo (1901 - 1999)
• Ned Rorem (born 1923)
• David Rosenboom (born 1947)
• Nino Rota (1911 - 1979)
• Mikel Rouse (born 1957)
• Albert Roussel (1869 - 1937)
• Edmund Rubbra (1901 - 1986)
• Dane Rudhyar (1895 - 1985)
• Carl Ruggles (1876 - 1971)
• John Rutter (born 1945)
• Frederic Rzewski (born 1938)

S

• Tolibjon Sadikov (1907 - 1957)
• Oskar Sala
• Aulis Sallinen (born 1935)
• Vadim Salmanov (1912 - 1978)
• Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)
• Giacinto Scelsi (1905 - 1988)
• Franz Schmidt (1874 - 1939)
• Florent Schmitt (1870 - 1958)
• Alfred Schnittke (1934 - 1998)
• Arnold Schoenberg (1874 - 1951)
• Franz Schreker (1878 - 1934)
• Gunther Schuller (born 1925)
• William Schuman (1910- 1992)
• Wolfgang von Schweinitz (born 1953)
• Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915)
• Peter Sculthorpe (born 1929)
• Roger Sessions (1896 - 1985)
• Harold Shapero (born 1929)
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975)
• Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957)
• Roberto Sierra (born 1953)
• Robert Simpson (1921 - 1997)
• Ezra Sims (born 1928)
• Alvin Singleton (born 1940)
• Nikos Skalkottas (1904 - 1949)
• Reginald Smith Brindle (1917 - 2003)
• Juan Maria Solare (born 1966)
• Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892 - 1988)
• Bernadette Speach (born 1948)
• Laurie Spiegel (born 1945)
• Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 - 1924)
• Rudi Stephan (1887 - 1915)
• Bernard Stevens (1916 - 1983)
• Karlheinz Stockhausen (born 1928)
• Carl Stone (born 1953)
• Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949)
• Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)
• Steven Stucky (born 1949)
• Morton Subotnick (born 1933)
• Giles Swayne (born 1946)
• Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937)

T

• Toru Takemitsu (1930 - 1996)
• Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983)
• John Tavener (born 1944)
• Robert Taylor (born 1931)
• Richard Teitelbaum (born 1939)
• James Tenney (born 1934)
• Mikis Theodorakis (born 1925)
• Virgil Thomson (1896 - 1989)
• Michael Tippett (1905 - 1998)
• Tomita
• Michael Torke (born 1961)
• Joan Tower (born 1938)
• David Del Tredici (born 1937)
• Eduard Tubin (1905 - 1982)
• David Tudor (1926 - 1996)
• Mark-Anthony Turnage (born 1960)
• Erkki-Sven Tüür (born 1959)
• Geirr Tveitt (1908 - 1981)
• 'Blue' Gene Tyranny (born 1945)

U

• İlhan Usmanbaş (born 1923)
• Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911-1990)

V

• Moisei Vainberg (1919 - 1996)
• Edgar Varese (1883 - 1965)
• Peteris Vasks (born 1946)
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)
• Jasna Velickovic
• Matthijs Vermeulen (1888 - 1967)
• Lois V. Vierk (born 1951)
• Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959)

W

• David Ward-Steinman (born 1936)
• Anton Webern (1883 - 1945)
• Kurt Weill (1900 - 1950)
• Egon Joseph Wellesz (1885 - 1974)
• Frank Wigglesworth
• Malcolm Williamson (1931 - 2003)
• Dag Wirén (1905 - 1986)
• Daniel James Wolf (born 1961)
• Julia Wolfe (born 1958)
• Christian Wolff (born 1934)
• Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876 - 1948)
• Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972)
• Charles Wuorinen (born 1938)

X

• Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001)

Y

• La Monte Young (born 1935)
• Isang Yun (1917 - 1995)

Z

• Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)
• Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942)
• Hans Zender (born 1936)
• Bernd Alois Zimmermann (1918 - 1970)
• Evan Ziporyn (born 1959)
• Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (born 1939)

See also

• Contemporary music
• List of 21st century classical composers

External links

• The Living Composers Project (http://www.composers21.com/?)