List of Famous Composers

NameDateEraNationalityGenre
A. R. RahmanJanuary 6, 1967ContemporaryIndianStage & Screen, electronic, dance, classical
Aaron CoplandNovember 14, 1900 – December 2, 199020th CenturyAmericanclassical, folk and jazz
Alban BergFebruary 9, 1885 – December 24, 193520th CenturyAustrianClassical, Avant-Garde
André PrevinApril 6, 192920th CenturyGerman, AmericanClassical, Jazz, Stage & Screen, Vocal
Andrew Lloyd WebberMarch 22, 194820th CenturyEnglishStage & Screen, Classical
Anton Bruckner4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896Post-RomanticAustrianClassical
Antonin DvorakSeptember 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904Post-RomanticCzechClassical
Antonio Carlos JobimJanuary 25, 1927 – December 8, 199420th CenturyBrazilian Latin, International, Jazz
Antonio Salieri18 August 1750 – 7 May 1825ClassicalItalianClassical
Antonio Vivaldi4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741BaroqueItalian Classical
Aphex TwinAugust 18, 1971ContemporaryIrishElectronic
Arnold Schoenberg13 September 1874 – 13 July 195120th CenturyAustrian Classical, Avant-Garde
Arvo PärtSeptember 11, 193520th CenturyEstonianClassical, Avant-Garde
Astor PiazzollaMarch 11, 1921 – July 4, 199220th CenturyArgentineLatin, International, Jazz, Classical
Bedřich Smetana 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884RomanticCzechClassical
Béla BartókMarch 25, 1881 – September 26, 194520th CenturyHungarianClassical, Avant-Garde
Benjamin Britten22 November 1913 – 4 December 197620th CenturyEnglish Classical
Bernard HerrmannJune 29, 1911 – December 24, 197520th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical, Avant-Garde
Bix BeiderbeckeMarch 10, 1903 – August 6, 193120th CenturyAmerican Jazz
Brian TylerMay 8, 1972 21st CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical
Burt BacharachMay 12, 192820th CenturyAmerican Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen, R&B, Classical
Caetano VelosoAugust 7, 194220th CenturyBrazilianLatin, International
Camille Saint-Saëns9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921RomanticFrench Classical
Carl Maria Von Weber19 November 1786 – 5 June 1826RomanticGermanClassical
Carlos Gardel11 December 1890 – 24 June 193520th centuryFrench ArgentineLatin, International
César Franck10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890RomanticFrenchClassical
Charles IvesOctober 20, 1874 – May 19, 195420th CenturyAmerican Classical, Avant-Garde
Clara Schumann13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896RomanticGermanClassical, International
Claude Debussy22 August 1862 – 25 March 191820th CenturyFrench Classical
Claudio Monteverdi15 May 1567 - 29 November 1643BaroqueItalianClassical, Vocal
Cole PorterJune 9, 1891 – October 15, 196420th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical, Vocal, Pop/Rock
CometanJuly 1, 1998ContemporaryBritishAstronic, Founder of Millettarian
Count BasieAugust 21, 1904 – April 26, 198420th CenturyAmerican Jazz, Pop/Rock
Danny ElfmanMay 29, 1953ContemporaryAmericanStage & Screen
Dave BrubeckDecember 6, 1920 – December 5, 201220th CenturyAmericanJazz, Classical
David DiamondJuly 9, 1915 – June 13, 200520th CenturyAmericanClassical
David FosterNovember 1, 1949ContemporaryCanadianPop/Rock, Stage & Screen, Easy Listening
Delia Derbyshire5 May 1937 – 3 July 200120th CenturyEnglishElectronic, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen, Classical
Dmitri Shostakovich25 September1906 – 9 August 197520th CenturyRussianClassical, Stage & Screen, Avant-Garde
Domenico Scarlatti26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757BaroqueItalianClassical
Edvard Grieg15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907Post-RomanticNorwegianClassical, International, Jazz, Pop/Rock
Edward Elgar2 June 1857 – 23 February 193420th CenturyEnglish Classical, Electronic
Ennio MorriconeNovember 10, 192820th CenturyItalianStage & Screen, Classical
Eric WhitacreJanuary 2, 1970ContemporaryAmericanClassical
Erik Satie17 May 1866 – 1 July 192520th CenturyFrench Classical, New Age, Avant-Garde
Facundo CabralMay 22, 1937 – July 9, 201120th CenturyArgentineLatin, International
Felix Mendelssohn3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847RomanticGerman Classical, Religious, Children's
Frank ZappaDecember 21, 1940 – December 4, 199320th CenturyAmerican Pop/Rock, Jazz, Avant-Garde, Classical, Comedy/Spoken
Franz LisztOctober 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886RomanticHungarianClassical, Pop/Rock
Franz Schubert31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828RomanticAustrian Classical, Religious
Frederic Chopin22 February or 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849RomanticPolishClassical, Jazz
Gabriel Faure12 May 1845 – 4 November 192420th CenturyFrenchClassical, Vocal, Latin
George Enescu19 August 1881 – 4 May 195520th CenturyRomanianClassical
George Frideric Handel23 February 1685 - 14 March 1759BaroqueBritish Classical, Jazz
George GershwinSeptember 26, 1898 – July 11, 193720th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical, Vocal
Georges Bizet25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875RomanticFrench Classical
Giacomo Puccini22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924Post-RomanticItalian Classical, Stage & Screen
Gilbert Bécaud24 October 1927 – 18 December 200120th CenturyFrenchVocal, Pop/Rock, Classical
Gioachino Rossini29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868RomanticItalian Classical, Vocal, Folk, Latin, Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen
Giuseppe Verdi10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901RomanticItalianClassical, International, New Age
Goran BregovićMarch 22, 195020th CenturyBosnian Stage & Screen, Classical, International, Jazz
Gustav Holst21 September 1874 – 25 May 193420th CenturyEnglish Classical
Gustav Mahler7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911Post-RomanticGerman Classical
Hans ZimmerSeptember 12, 195720th CenturyGerman Stage & Screen, Classical, New Age
Harris JayarajJanuary 8, 197521st centuryIndian Stage & Screen, International
Harry Gregson-WilliamsDecember 13, 1961ContemporaryBritish Stage & Screen, Classical, Electronic
Hector Berlioz11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869RomanticFrench Classical
Heitor Villa-LobosMarch 5, 1887 – November 17, 195920th CenturyBrazilianClassical, Jazz, Avant-Garde
Henry ManciniApril 16, 1924 – June 14, 199420th CenturyAmerican Easy Listening, Stage & Screen, Jazz
Henry Purcell10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695BaroqueEnglish Classical
Hoagy CarmichaelNovember 22, 1899 – December 27, 198120th CenturyAmerican Jazz, Vocal, Stage & Screen, Pop/Rock
Howard ShoreOctober 18, 194620th CenturyCanadian Stage & Screen, Classical
Igor Stravinsky17 June 1882 – 6 April 197120th CenturyRussian Classical, New Age, Avant-Garde
Irving BerlinMay 11, 1888 – September 22, 198920th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Vocal, Avant-Garde, Classical, Pop/Rock
Isaac Albéniz29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909Post-RomanticSpanish Classical
Jacques Brel8 April 1929 – 9 October 197820th CenturyBelgianVocal, Pop/Rock, International
James HornerAugust 14, 195320th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Easy Listening
Jan HammerApril 17, 1948ContemporaryCzechJazz, Stage & Screen, Pop/Rock
Jean Baptiste Lully28 November 1632 – 22 March 1687BaroqueFrenchClassical
Jean Jacques Rousseau28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778BaroqueGenevanClassical
Jean Michel JarreAugust 24, 1948ContemporaryFrench Electronic, Avant-Garde, New Age
Jean Sibelius8 December 1865 – 20 September 195720th CenturyFinnishClassical
Jean-Philippe Rameau25 September 1683 – 12 September 1764BaroqueFrench Classical
Jelly Roll MortonOctober 20, 1890 – July 10, 194120th centuryAmericanJazz
Jerry GoldsmithFebruary 10, 1929 – July 21, 200420th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical
Jim SteinmanNovember 1, 194720th CenturyAmerican Pop/Rock, Classical
Jimmy WebbAugust 15, 194620th CenturyAmerican Pop/Rock
Joaquin RodrigoNovember 22, 1901 – July 6, 199920th CenturySpanishClassical, Jazz
Joe HisaishiDecember 6, 1950ContemporaryJapaneseStage & Screen, Classical
Johann PachelbelSeptember 1, 1653 – buried March 9, 1706BaroqueGermanClassical, Electronic
Johann Sebastian Bach31 March 1685 – 28 July 1750BaroqueGerman Classical
Johannes Brahms7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897RomanticGerman Classical
John Barry3 November 1933 – 30 January 201120th CenturyEnglish Stage & Screen, Classical, Jazz, Pop/Rock, R&B
John CageSeptember 5, 1912 – August 12, 199220th CenturyAmerican Classical, Avant-Garde, Electronic
John Dowland1563 – buried 20 February 1626RenaissanceEnglish Classical
John Philip SousaNovember 6, 1854 – March 6, 193220th CenturyAmerican Classical, Easy Listening
John PowellSeptember 18, 1963ContemporaryEnglishStage & Screen, Classical, Pop/Rock
John RutterSeptember 24, 194520th CenturyEnglishClassical
John Tavener28 January 1944 – 12 November 201320th CenturyEnglishClassical, New Age
John TeshJuly 9, 1952ContemporaryAmerican New Age
John WilliamsFebruary 8, 193220th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical, Easy Listening
John ZornSeptember 2, 1953ContemporaryAmericanAvant-Garde, Classical, Jazz, Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen, International
Joseph Haydn31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809ClassicalAustrianClassical
Juventino Rosas25 January 1868 – 9 July 1894RomanticMexicanLatin, Classical
Karl JenkinsFebruary 17, 194420th CenturyWelshClassical, New Age, Avant-Garde, International, Pop/Rock
Karlheinz Stockhausen22 August 1928 – 5 December 200720th CenturyGerman Classical, Avant-Garde
Klaus BadeltJune 12, 1967ContemporaryGerman Stage & Screen, Classical
Klaus Schulze 4 August 1947ContemporaryGermanAvant-Garde Music, Experimental Electronic, Kraut Rock, Space Rock, Ambient
Koji KondoAugust 13, 1961ContemporaryJapanese Stage & Screen, Classical
Krzysztof PendereckiNovember 23, 193320th CenturyPolish Classical, Avant-Garde, Jazz
Kurt WeillMarch 2, 1900 – April 3, 195020th CenturyGerman Classical, Stage & Screen, Vocal, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock
La Monte YoungOctober 14, 193520th CenturyAmerican Classical, Avant-Garde
Laurie AndersonJune 5, 1947ContemporaryAmerican Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock
Leonard BernsteinAugust 25, 1918 – October 14, 199020th CenturyAmerican Classical, Stage & Screen, Vocal, Avant-Garde
Ludovico EinaudiNovember 23, 195520th CenturyItalianNew Age, Stage & Screen, Classical
Ludwig Van Beethoven17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827ClassicalGerman Classical
Manuel De Falla23 November 1876 – 14 November 194620th CenturySpanishClassical, Latin
Marvin HamlischJune 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012ContemporaryAmerican Stage & Screen, Easy Listening, Pop/Rock, Classical
Maurice RavelMarch 7, 1875 – December 28, 193720th CenturyFrenchClassical
Michael GiacchinoOctober 10, 1967ContemporaryAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical
Michael KamenApril 15, 1948 – November 18, 200320th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical
Michael NymanMarch 23, 194420th CenturyEnglish Stage & Screen, Classical, International, Avant-Garde
Michel CamiloApril 4, 195420th CenturyDominicanJazz
Michel LegrandFebruary 24, 193220th CenturyFrench Jazz, Classical, Stage & Screen
Mike OldfieldMay 15, 1953ContemporaryEnglish New Age, Avant-Garde, Classical, Pop/Rock
Mikis TheodorakisJuly 29, 192520th CenturyGreek International, Stage & Screen
Niccolò Paganini27 October 1782 – 27 May 1840RomanticItalian Classical
Nile RodgersSeptember 19, 1952ContemporaryAmerican R&B
Nino Rota3 December 1911 – 10 April 197920th CenturyItalian Stage & Screen, Classical, Avant-Garde
Nobuo UematsuMarch 21, 1959ContemporaryJapanese Stage & Screen, Classical
Olivier MessiaenDecember 10, 1908 – April 27, 199220th CenturyFrench Classical, Avant-Garde
Patrick DoyleApril 6, 1953ContemporaryScottish Pop/Rock
Paul DesmondNovember 25, 1924 – May 30, 197720th CenturyAmerican Jazz
Philip Glass January 31, 193720th CenturyAmerican Classical, Avant-Garde, Jazz, Stage & Screen
Pierre BoulezMarch 26, 192520th CenturyFrench Classical, Avant-Garde, Electronic
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893RomanticRussianClassical, Holiday
R. D. Burman27 June 1939 – 4 January 199420th CenturyIndian Stage & Screen, International
Ralph Vaughan Williams12 October 1872 – 26 August 195820th CenturyEnglish Classical
Ramin DjawadiJuly 19, 197421st CenturyGerman-IranianStage & Screen, Classical
Richard Strauss11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949Post-RomanticGerman Classical
Richard Wagner22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883RomanticGerman Classical
Robert Schumann8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856RomanticGerman Classical, Children's
Ryuichi SakamotoJanuary 17, 1952ContemporaryJapanese Electronic, New Age, Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen, Avant-Garde
Samuel BarberMarch 9, 1910 – January 23, 198120th CenturyAmerican Classical
Scott Joplinc. 1867/1868 – April 1, 1917ModernAmerican Jazz, Classical
Sergei Prokofiev11/23 April 1891 – 5 March 195320th CenturyRussianClassical
Sidney BechetMay 14, 1897 – May 14, 195920th CenturyAmerican Jazz
Stephen SondheimMarch 22, 193020th CenturyAmerican Stage & Screen, Vocal, Pop/Rock, Classical
Steve JablonskyOctober 9, 1970ContemporaryAmerican Stage & Screen, Classical, Electronic
Steve MorseJuly 28, 1954ContemporaryCanadianPop/Rock, Jazz
Steve ReichOctober 3, 193620th CenturyAmerican Classical, Avant-Garde
Terry RileyJune 24, 193520th CenturyAmerican Avant-Garde, Classical, Electronic, Jazz
Thelonious MonkOctober 10, 1917 – February 17, 198220th CenturyAmerican Jazz
Thomas Tallisc. 1505 – 3 December 1585RenaissanceEnglishClassical
Tom Zé11 October 1936 20th CenturyBrazilianLatin, International
Vishal BhardwajAugust 4, 1965ContemporaryIndianStage & Screen, International
W. C. HandyNovember 16, 1873 – March 28, 195820th centuryAmerican Blues, Classical, Jazz
William Byrdc. 1543 – 4 July 1623BaroqueEnglish Classical
Wim MertensMay 14, 1953ContemporaryBelgian New Age, Avant-Garde, Classical
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791ClassicalAustrianClassical, Children's
YanniNovember 14, 1954ContemporaryGreek New Age, Pop/Rock
Yoko KannoMarch 19, 1964ContemporaryJapanese Stage & Screen, Classical, International
Yuvan Shankar RajaAugust 31, 197921st CenturyIndian Stage & Screen
Zeca Afonso2 August 1929 – 23 February 198720th CenturyPortugueseInternational