Composers
John Cage: the composer whose most famous work didn't make a sound
Nick Shave explores the nuts and bolts of an avant gardist whose creative genius goes well
beyond his famous 4'33" of not-quite-silence
Eugène Ysaÿe: why was he known as the 'King of the Violin'?
One of the finest violinists of his or any generation, Ysaÿe was also a composer of considerably greater talent than he himself was inclined to believe, says Julian Haylock. Meet the king of the violin
Big eater, fretful uncle, always on the move: Beethoven’s conversation books bring the great composer to vivid life
Beethoven’s conversation books, through which the deaf composer communicated with those around him, offer a fascinatingly detailed insight into his life. Michael Church takes a look at a new translation
Narcissist, adulterer, social climber, frustrated genius... Who was Alma Mahler?
Thwarted as a composer, was Gustav Mahler's wife, Alma Mahler, really a ‘boundless narcissist’? Perhaps a troubled soul lurked beneath...
Best Romantic composers: from Beethoven to Rachmaninov, 19 giants of Romanticism in music
From Beethoven and Schubert via Mendelssohn and Mahler to Strauss and Rachmaninov, we pore over the greatest composers from the Romantic era, renowned for its grand musical passions and dramas
What's new?
Erik Satie: the enigmatic eccentric who concealed his true self behind hypnotic, visionary music
Erik Satie revealed little of his true self, in his life as in his music. This is just a part of what makes him such a fascinating composer
Rachmaninov: the 'six-foot scowl' who gave us some of classical music's most breathtaking moments
The last great Russian Romantic: meet Sergey Rachmaninov, creator of some of classical music's most irresistible melodies
Imogen Holst - why Gustav's self-effacing daughter deserves the spotlight in her own right
Her devotion to others was admirable, but this modest composer should be celebrated for her own considerable talents, says Leah Broad
Louise Farrenc: the gifted composer who brought the battle of the sexes to 19th-century France
Though multi-faceted and mightily gifted, the French composer Louise Farrenc could easily have gone entirely unnoticed, as Jessica Duchen explains
Sergey Prokofiev: revolutionary composer who gave us some of the 20th century's most dazzling music
Meet Sergey Prokofiev, the Russian master of drama, orchestration and sardonic wit
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Thomas Adès: the innovative British composer who expertly mixes modernism and emotional depth
A British composer, conductor, and pianist, Thomas Adès is one of the most influential, innovative composers working today
Isaac Albéniz: Spanish nationalism with a French twist
Though best known for depicting the colours of his homeland, the Spaniard was in fact a truly cosmopolitan figure, says Jessica Duchen
Charles-Valentin Alkan: the hermit who composed devilishly difficult piano works
A performer who became a hermit, Charles-Valentin Alkan wrote the most demanding piano works in history, says Malcolm Hayes
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Leonard Bernstein: memories of the showman and visionary with the car number plate you couldn't miss
Memories of an extraordinary conductor, composer and communicator of the joys of music
The gifted American composer whose prodigious gifts were stifled by social norms
Amy Beach left behind some beautiful and hugely accomplished works. But, says Anthony Burton, did the social conventions of the era in which she was living stifle her true potential?
'His head crowned by a garland of white roses': how thousands attended Beethoven's funeral
The story of thousands gathering in Vienna for Beethoven’s final farewell
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Frédéric Chopin: he was the quintessential Romantic artist. But he was also a tricky character to be around
He was a master of lyricism and drama, and his ethereal melodies still enchant us today. His life was not an easy one, however. Meet the ultimate Romantic, Frédéric Chopin
Anna Clyne: the British, US-based composer who combines bold paintings and electronic effects with her music
Meet Anna Clyne, the New York- based composer who is artist in-association with the BBC Philharmonic
The brilliance of Aaron Copland, the composer who evoked America's wide open spaces and bustling city streets
Whenever a film or TV score evokes America – the wide-open prairie, the rowdiness of a Western frontier town or loneliness in a big city – the melodies, harmonies and orchestral colouring will owe much the music of Aaron Copland
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Antonín Dvořák: incomparable Czech melodist
Meet Antonín Dvořák, supreme folk and classical synthesist and perhaps the most melodic of the Late Romantics
Who is Henry Walford Davies?
Buckingham Palace has announced that music by the English composer Henry Walford Davies will be performed at the coronation, but who is he?
Who is Patrick Doyle?
Meet the Scottish composer Patrick Doyle, whose composing credits include a Harry Potter, Bridget Jones - and music for King Charles’s Coronation
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Julius Eastman: the uncompromising American composer who embraced his colour and sexuality with raucous confidence
A brilliant pianist, composer, singer and dancer, Eastman’s wayward lifestyle hindered the success he merited, says Claire Jackson
George Enescu: multi-faceted composer, Romanian national hero
Meet George Enescu, labelled by one famous performer ‘the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart'
Who is Danny Elfman, the composer behind The Simpsons?
There’s one iconic telly tune you’ll probably know by this American composer, whose music graces the BBC Proms for the first time this weekend; but there’s a lot more to Danny Elfman than The Simpsons...
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Morton Feldman
An introduction to the 20th-century experimental American composer Morton Feldman
Who is Alexis Ffrench? Meet the composer and pianist who performed at the Coronation
Meet the composer and pianist, Alexis Ffrench, who is among the artists performing at the coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 7 May
Finzi, Gerald
The life and times of an iconic British choral composer
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Philip Glass: the pioneering American composer who took us to the wilder shores of Minimalism and beyond
Meet Philip Glass: so much more than a Minimalist
Charles Gounod: Was the composer of Faust devilishly good, or a one-hit wonder?
Feted in his own era, the French composer Charles Gounod deserves to be remembered for more than the small handful of his works that are familiar today, says Roger Nichols
Grieg: Norway's greatest composer
Meet Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, the voice of the fjords
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Dani Howard: a guide to the talented young composer whose music features at the BBC Proms 2024
Meet Dani Howard, the brilliant young British composer, who has recently been appointed composer-in-residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
Hildegard von Bingen: writer, theologian, composer, naturalist... and scourge of a corrupt Church
Your guide to the music of the 12-century nun, Hildegard von Bingen: her inspirations, her unique sound and recommended recordings of her work
Herbert Howells: the composer who channelled his grief into beautiful music
The atmospheric Carol Anthems were just the start of this British composer’s remarkable outpouring of choral music, writes Paul Spicer
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Janáček, Leos
Leos Janáček: a man of fierce passions, and a gifted melder of musical styles
Who was Josquin des Prez?
Everything you need to know about the French composer and his revolutionary Renaissance music
Who was Jóhann Jóhannsson? A guide to the Icelandic composer
You might have heard of this Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer who died in 2018 aged only 48, but who exactly was he? What was his music like? How did he make his breakthrough? Here's everything you need to know about Jóhann Jóhannsson
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Korngold, Erich Wolfgang
Embracing youthful stardom, Nazi censorship and Hollywood success, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's story was truly remarkable, says Jessica Duchen
Komitas
Michael Church explores the enduring influence of Komitas, the composer and pioneering folk-collector whose career met a brutal end
Knussen, Oliver
Oliver Knussen is a great British talent, whose colourful scores had a huge impact on audiences and composers alike
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Franz Liszt: public showman and creative visionary who had them swooning in the aisles
The composer Franz Liszt was a brilliant but enigmatic piano virtuoso, writes Jessica Duchen
Franz Lehár: meet the composer behind one of the most popular operas ever, The Merry Widow
George Hall looks at the life and music of Franz Lehár, a composer who brought both huge popularity and a new respect to the world of operetta - and gave the world The Merry Widow
Edouard Lalo: meet the French composer who gave Romanticism a Spanish tang
Lalo’s best works for the opera stage and concert hall reveal a distinctive composer who by no means deserves his present neglect, says Roger Nichols
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Henry Mancini: iconic film composer from a golden age of Hollywood, from Moon River to The Pink Panther
He's perhaps best known for 'Moon River' and 'The Pink Panther'. In truth, Henry Mancini helped define a whole glorious era of film music
15 unusual uses for Mozart: from helping grapes ripen in expensive vineyards to encouraging cows to produce more milk
The weird and wonderful uses for Mozart's music we have seen over the years
How Mozart's marriage stopped a visit from the police, on grounds of indecency...
Mozart's marriage, hastily arranged, stops a visit from the Vienna police, writes Terry Blain
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Ben Nobuto: meet the composer bringing videogame adventures to the First Night of the Proms
The Japanese/British composer's 'Hallelujah Sim' receives its world premiere at the First Night of the Proms on 19 July 2024
Nyman, Michael
He’s had film score successes galore and his style is both inventive and distinctive. So why, asks Nick Shave, does Michael Nyman often find himself deserted by the tide of musical opinion?
Nielsen, Carl
The great Dane
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George Onslow: has history judged the Anglo-French composer unfairly?
Admired by several notable contemporaries, the man once dubbed ‘the French Beethoven’ is surely ripe for reappraisal, says Misha Donat
Who is Tarik O'Regan?
Meet British-American composer Tarik O'Regan, whose CV includes writing music for King Charles's coronation
Orff, Carl
The lies, the politics… and Carmina Burana
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'Audience members fainted with excitement': the dazzling virtuoso rumoured to be in league with the devil
One of the most dazzling musical showmen of all time, the great Italian violinist and composer Paganini cast a spell over all those who heard his music, as Julian Haylock explains
Puccini: the Italian opera maestro who added Wagner to Verdi
Opera's craftsman of emotion
Michael Praetorius: composer, organist, theorist, Renaissance man extraordinaire
Best known for a moment of festive perfection, the music of the German composer Michael Praetorius was, explains Paul Riley, shaped by the Lutheran era in which he lived
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'Behaving like a spoilt, overgrown child': how a move to the country saved Sibelius from heavy drinking
'My art demanded a different environment'... The country house that saved Sibelius from the demon drink
Franz Schubert: probably classical music's greatest prodigy
Was Franz Schubert a prodigy without equal? Stephen Johnson makes a compelling case for the Austrian composer's place at the top of the prodigies league
Salieri: he's portrayed as music's sorest loser. He deserves better
Forget the hate-filled murderer of Mozart,
says Alexandra Wilson; the real Salieri was
an opera composer of considerable standing
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Tchaikovsky: the great Russian Romantic who channelled a turbulent life into heart-rending music
Tchaikovsky: a great Russian, a great Romantic - and a master of the lament
Tan Dun: meet the composer of the 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' score
Chinese-American composer Tan Dun has come from humble origins to achieve global success, yet his concerns remain the same – balance, humanity and the natural world, writes Claire Jackson
John Tavener
Meet John Tavener, composer of extraordinarily spiritual music of many faiths
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Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and beyond
The composer of The Four Seasons was also one of the Baroque era's busiest and most influential musicians. Meet Antonio Vivaldi
Vaughan Williams, Ralph
Terry Blain explores the life, times and works of Ralph Vaughan Williams - the grand old man of British music
Who was Pauline Viardot?
As fine a composer as she was a singer, Pauline Viardot was respected and adored by Europe’s greatest musicians, discovers Jessica Duchen
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Eric Whitacre: Nevada's most famous composer, who has broken records with his virtual choirs
Meet Eric Whitacre, the hugely popular US composer, conductor and founder of the Virtual Choir
Richard Wagner: the composer who shook the opera world
Composer of the Ring cycle: discover the life and work of opera's colossus, Richard Wagner
Errollyn Wallen: why sea, sky and solitude are key to her magical soundworld
From her first piano lesson, composer Errollyn Wallen has lived and breathed music; and though inspired by a range of styles, her composing is a deeply personal expression, as she tells Kate Wakeling
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