List of Famous Pianists
- Demi Lovato, born on August 20, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress whose influence has transcended the entertainment industry. With a career that began at a young age, Lovato's path to stardom was paved by a role on the children's television series Barney & Friends. This early start led to more prominent roles, including the lead in Disney Channel's musical film Camp Rock, which catapulted the young star into the limelight. Lovato's musical prowess cannot be underestimated. After gaining fame from acting, they transitioned into the music scene with their debut album, Don't Forget, released in 2008. The album was a commercial success, garnering critical acclaim and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200. Lovato's unique blend of pop, pop rock, and R&B genres resonated with audiences worldwide, leading to numerous successful albums, including Here We Go Again, Unbroken, Confident, and Tell Me You Love Me. Their vocal range and emotive songwriting have earned them multiple awards and nominations, including a Grammy nomination. Beyond their entertainment career, Lovato is known for their advocacy work. They have been open about personal struggles with mental health and substance abuse, using their platform to raise awareness and reduce stigma around these issues. Lovato's commitment to various social and environmental causes, including LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and climate change, has earned them respect and admiration globally. Their courage in sharing personal experiences through documentaries like Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated and Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil has helped many fans and followers navigate their own challenges, further solidifying Lovato's impact beyond the confines of music and acting.
- Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England, is a musical icon whose career has spanned more than five decades. A prodigious talent, he was playing piano at the age of three and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at just eleven years old. His journey to stardom began in earnest in 1967 when he met Bernie Taupin, an aspiring lyricist. Their partnership, which continues today, has created some of the most memorable songs in pop history. John's first major breakthrough came with the 1970 album Elton John, which included the hit single "Your Song." This ballad propelled him into a stratosphere of success that few artists achieve, leading to an illustrious career marked by numerous chart-topping hits, sold-out world tours, and an incomparable influence on the music industry. From "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" to "Candle in the Wind" and "I'm Still Standing," his discography is filled with timeless classics. John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. Apart from his music, Elton John is also known for his flamboyant style and activism. He came out as gay in 1988 and has since been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 1992, he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research and prevention. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 for his contributions to music and charitable services. Throughout his career, John has received countless awards and accolades, including multiple Grammys, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award, solidifying his status as a true legend in the entertainment world.
- 1Goodbye Yellow Brick Road827 Votes
- 2Madman Across the Water725 Votes
- 3Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy727 Votes
- Paul McCartney, born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England, is a revered figure in the world of music, known for his significant contribution to the legendary band, The Beatles. Before his rise to fame, McCartney's early life was marked by the loss of his mother, Mary, which deeply influenced his songwriting. He attended the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys, where he met George Harrison. McCartney's musical journey began with his first guitar at the age of fourteen, and by sixteen, he had joined John Lennon's band, The Quarrymen, which later evolved into the iconic Beatles. McCartney's creative partnership with John Lennon during the Beatles era resulted in an incredible array of hits that dramatically shaped the landscape of popular music. Their collaborative genius produced timeless classics like "Hey Jude", "Let It Be", and "Yesterday". The Beatles' meteoric rise in the '60s sparked Beatlemania, a global phenomenon that made them one of the most influential bands in history. However, the Beatles disbanded in 1970, prompting McCartney to embark on a solo career. In his post-Beatles career, McCartney continued to make his mark in the music industry. He formed the band Wings with his wife Linda Eastman, which saw considerable success throughout the '70s with hits like "Band on the Run" and "Live and Let Die". McCartney's enduring legacy as a songwriter and performer has earned him numerous accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music in 1997, firmly cementing his status as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.
- Born as Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas, Jamie Foxx is a multifaceted entertainer well-known for his contributions to music, comedy, and acting. Raised in a rigidly religious household by his grandmother, Foxx's flair for performing was evident from an early age. He was a gifted pianist and choir leader at church, and his comedic talent shone through his impersonations of teachers and classmates at school. Foxx's upbringing played a significant role in shaping his career, instilling in him a deep passion for music and a sharp sense of humor that would later become integral to his success. Foxx first gained fame in the 1990s with his groundbreaking performance in the television show In Living Color, where his knack for comedy and impersonations earned him widespread recognition. However, it was his dramatic roles in films that truly cemented his status as a formidable actor. His portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic Ray won him an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2004, making him the third African-American to receive this honor. This achievement was a testament to Foxx's versatility and ability to bring depth and authenticity to his characters. Beyond his acting career, Foxx has also made a significant impact in the music industry. He released his debut album, Peep This, in 1994 but it was his second album, Unpredictable, released in 2005, that catapulted him to musical success. The album topped the charts and was certified double platinum, proving Foxx's prowess not just as an actor, but also as a singer. Despite the many hats he has worn throughout his career, Jamie Foxx remains a beloved figure in entertainment, consistently pushing boundaries with his talent and versatility.
- 1Django Unchained277 Votes
- 2Ray215 Votes
- 3Law Abiding Citizen209 Votes
- Ludwig van Beethoven, a remarkable figure in the world of classical music, emerged from the late 18th century as one of the most influential composers in Western history. Born in December 1770 in Bonn, Germany, Beethoven was imbued with musical talent at an early age, encouraged by his father, a musician in the Electoral court. His father's rigorous and sometimes harsh training regime honed Beethoven's skills as a pianist. By the time he was a teenager, Beethoven had already mastered the organ and violin, and was composing his music. Beethoven's musical prowess grew under the tutelage of renowned composers like Christian Gottlob Neefe and Franz Joseph Haydn. His move to Vienna in 1792 marked a significant expansion in his career. The city's vibrant musical culture acted as a fertile ground for his creativity, culminating in compositions that broke away from classical traditions, thereby heralding the dawn of the Romantic era in music. Despite facing the daunting challenge of progressive hearing loss, which began around 1796 and led to total deafness, Beethoven's determination remained undeterred. He continued to compose, producing many of his best-known works during this period, including the iconic "Symphony No. 9" and "Moonlight Sonata." Beethoven's legacy is a vast oeuvre of symphonies, sonatas, concertos, and quartets that have enriched the world's musical heritage. His works are hailed for their technical complexity, emotional depth, and innovative use of form. His life journey and extraordinary achievements continue to inspire musicians and music lovers worldwide, cementing his status as a titan in the realm of classical music.
- Pope Benedict XVI (April 16, 1927 – December 31, 2022) was a retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation. He was described as "the main intellectual force in the Church" since the mid-1980s. In 2013, Benedict unexpectedly announced his resignation in a speech in Latin before the cardinals, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body" due to his advanced age. He is the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Celestine V in 1294. He was succeeded by Pope Francis, and moved into the newly renovated Mater Ecclesiae Monastery for his retirement. In his retirement, Benedict XVI made occasional public appearances alongside Francis.
- Born as Farrokh Bulsara in the Sultanate of Zanzibar, Freddie Mercury is globally celebrated for his exceptional talent and charisma. He moved to England at a young age where he studied art and design at Ealing Art College, London. This education would later influence many of Queen's album covers that he designed himself. In 1970, Mercury teamed up with Brian May and Roger Taylor to form the rock band Queen, which soon became an international sensation. Mercury's distinctive voice had a remarkable range that spanned over four octaves. His flamboyant stage presence and powerful vocals made him one of the most beloved entertainers in rock music history. As the primary lyricist for Queen, Mercury penned numerous hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", and "We Are The Champions". These songs not only topped charts during their time but continue to be classics even today. Despite his early demise due to complications from AIDS at the age of 45 in 1991, Mercury remains an iconic figure in popular culture. His life was immortalized on screen through the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody which won multiple awards worldwide. Today Freddie Mercury continues to inspire millions with his music legacy - a testament to his unparalleled contribution as a musician, performer and cultural icon.
- Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in 1950, is an iconic American musician, singer, and songwriter who has significantly influenced the world of music with his prodigious talents. Born premature and suffering from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which led to blindness shortly after birth, Wonder's disability did not deter him from pursuing a career in music. His journey began at a young age when he exhibited exceptional musical talent, playing various instruments such as the piano, harmonica, and drums. Recognizing his potential, Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, signed him at the tender age of 11. Over the years, Wonder's musical prowess has transcended time and genres, making him one of the most successful and innovative musicians in the second half of the 20th century. He has released numerous hit singles and albums, including "Superstition," "Sir Duke," and "I Just Called to Say I Love You," that have topped charts globally. His album Songs in the Key of Life is often hailed as a masterpiece, showcasing his unique blend of pop, soul, funk, and jazz. Wonder's contributions to music have earned him countless accolades, including an impressive tally of 25 Grammy Awards, cementing his place among music's elite. Beyond his music, Wonder is also renowned for his humanitarian and political activism. He has been instrumental in campaigning for civil rights and against apartheid, demonstrating his commitment to social justice issues. His efforts culminated in the realization of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday in the United States, following his release of the tribute song "Happy Birthday." Despite the obstacles he faced, Stevie Wonder's life and career are a testament to his resilience, creativity, and unwavering dedication to using his platform to effect positive change.
- 1Superstition566 Votes
- 2Higher Ground397 Votes
- 3Isn't She Lovely431 Votes
- Nick Jonas, born on September 16, 1992, in Dallas, Texas, is a multifaceted artist who has made substantial contributions to the world of music, acting, and philanthropy. His journey into stardom began at a young age when he was discovered singing in a hair salon at seven years old. This event led to his Broadway debut in A Christmas Carol, marking the start of his illustrious career. The Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band formed by Nick and his older brothers Kevin and Joe, catapulted him to international fame. The band released their first album, It's About Time, in 2006, followed by several other successful albums such as Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer, and Lines, Vines and Trying Times. After the band's disbandment in 2013, Nick continued his musical journey, releasing solo projects like Nick Jonas and Last Year Was Complicated, which established him as a mature, independent artist. The Jonas Brothers reunited in 2019 with the band's single, "Sucker." Beyond music, Jonas has also demonstrated his prowess in acting, starring in TV shows like Scream Queens and Kingdom, and movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. He has also been an active advocate for diabetes awareness, having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age.
- Billy Joel, born William Martin Joel on May 9, 1949, in the Bronx, New York, is a renowned American musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. His musical journey began at a young age when he started piano lessons at his mother's behest, laying the foundation for what would become an illustrious career. An alumnus of Hicksville High School in Long Island, Joel's high school years were marked by a growing passion for music that culminated in him joining the Echoes, a British Invasion cover band, even before his graduation. Joel's breakthrough came in 1973 with the release of Piano Man, a song that not only became his first major hit but also earned him his nickname. This song solidified his reputation as a gifted storyteller capable of capturing the human experience through his lyrics. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he released a series of successful albums including The Stranger and 52nd Street, both of which topped the U.S. album charts. His ability to seamlessly blend various musical styles, from pop and rock to jazz and classical, resulted in a diverse discography that appealed to a broad audience. Beyond his success in the music industry, Joel's life has been characterized by resilience in the face of personal and professional challenges. His battles with substance abuse and high-profile divorces have been well-documented, yet he has continued to create music and perform, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to his craft. In recognition of his contributions to music, Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.
- Amy Lee, born as Amy Lynn Hartzler, is a renowned American singer, songwriter, and pianist, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. Born on December 13, 1981, in Riverside, California, Lee's captivation by music began at an early age. Her musical journey started with playing the piano at nine years old, laying the foundation for her illustrious career. She grew up in several parts of the United States, including Florida and Illinois, before finally settling in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1995, Lee met guitarist Ben Moody at a youth camp, and their shared love for music led to the formation of Evanescence. The band released their first full-length album, Fallen, in 2003, which skyrocketed to success, selling over 17 million copies worldwide, earning the group two Grammy Awards. Lee's haunting mezzo-soprano vocals and the band's unique blend of gothic rock and nu-metal made them a global sensation. Her songwriting skills were also widely recognised, with her lyrics often exploring themes of grief, despair, and spirituality. In addition to her work with Evanescence, Lee has also carved out a successful solo career. She composed the soundtrack for the film War Story and the song "Speak to Me" for the horror film Voice from the Stone. Her philanthropic side is evident in her active participation in various charity events and causes, particularly those revolving around epilepsy, a condition that her younger brother suffers from.
- Frédéric François Chopin (, also UK: , US: , French: [ʃɔpɛ̃], Polish: [ˈʂɔpɛn]; 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading musician of his era, one whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation."Chopin was born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin in the Duchy of Warsaw and grew up in Warsaw, which in 1815 became part of Congress Poland. A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his earlier works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at the age of 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising. At 21, he settled in Paris. Thereafter—in the last 18 years of his life—he gave only 30 public performances, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon. He supported himself by selling his compositions and by giving piano lessons, for which he was in high demand. Chopin formed a friendship with Franz Liszt and was admired by many of his other musical contemporaries (including Robert Schumann). In 1835, Chopin obtained French citizenship. After a failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska from 1836 to 1837, he maintained an often troubled relationship with the French writer Amantine Dupin (known by her pen name, George Sand). A brief and unhappy visit to Majorca with Sand in 1838–39 would prove one of his most productive periods of composition. In his final years, he was supported financially by his admirer Jane Stirling, who also arranged for him to visit Scotland in 1848. For most of his life, Chopin was in poor health. He died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39, probably of pericarditis aggravated by tuberculosis. All of Chopin's compositions include the piano. Most are for solo piano, though he also wrote two piano concertos, a few chamber pieces, and some 19 songs set to Polish lyrics. His piano writing was technically demanding and expanded the limits of the instrument: his own performances were noted for their nuance and sensitivity. Chopin invented the concept of the instrumental ballade. His major piano works also include mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, études, impromptus, scherzos, preludes and sonatas, some published only posthumously. Among the influences on his style of composition were Polish folk music, the classical tradition of J.S. Bach, Mozart, and Schubert, and the atmosphere of the Paris salons of which he was a frequent guest. His innovations in style, harmony, and musical form, and his association of music with nationalism, were influential throughout and after the late Romantic period. Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest superstars, his (indirect) association with political insurrection, his high-profile love-life, and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era. His works remain popular, and he has been the subject of numerous films and biographies of varying historical fidelity.
- Chris Martin, born Christopher Anthony John Martin on March 2, 1977, in Exeter, Devon, England, is a globally recognized artist known for his exceptional talent as a singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He gained international fame as the lead vocalist, keyboardist, rhythm guitarist, and one of the founding members of the rock band Coldplay, which was formed in 1996. The band's debut album, Parachutes, released in 2000, quickly shot up the charts, establishing Martin and his bandmates as major forces in the music industry. Martin's musical career has been marked by multiple accolades and widespread recognition. With Coldplay, he has won several awards, including multiple Grammy Awards from dozens of nominations. The band's third album, X&Y, was particularly well-received and became the best-selling album worldwide in 2005. Martin's lyrical genius combined with his distinctive falsetto voice and piano-playing skills have contributed significantly to the band's unique sound and success. Beyond his musical achievements, Martin has also been proactive in various philanthropic activities. He is known for his work in campaigns such as Make Trade Fair and Band Aid 20. Moreover, he has supported causes like Amnesty International and Teenage Cancer Trust.
- Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, Liberace enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures, and endorsements. At the height of his fame, from the 1950s to the 1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world, with established concert residencies in Las Vegas, and an international touring schedule. Liberace embraced a lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage, acquiring the nickname "Mr. Showmanship".
- Jerry Lee Lewis, famously known as "The Killer," is an iconic figure in the annals of rock and roll history. Born on September 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, his passion for music was evident from an early age. Raised in a poor farming family, Lewis's parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano, recognizing his innate talent. The investment paid off, as he went on to become one of the pioneers of rock and roll music, with a career spanning over six decades. Lewis's musical style, characterized by his energetic performances and flamboyant piano playing, revolutionized the music industry in the 1950s. His fusion of country, gospel, and rhythm & blues into a unique rock and roll sound led to numerous hit records including "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire." These hits not only made him a star but also established him as a major influence on future generations of rock musicians. Despite his successful career, Lewis's life was marked by personal tragedies and controversies, which often overshadowed his musical achievements. Despite these challenges, Lewis's resilience and dedication to his craft led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1986. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the music industry. Jerry Lee Lewis's impact on popular music is undeniable, with his dynamic performances and innovative musical style leaving an indelible mark on the world of rock and roll.
- Born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Leonard Bernstein grew to become one of the most influential figures in classical music. A prodigy by any measure, Bernstein's prowess extended beyond his roles as a conductor and pianist, establishing him as an esteemed composer, author, and lecturer as well. His musical genius shone brightly in the orchestral and theatrical worlds, with legendary compositions like West Side Story. Bernstein's journey toward becoming an eminent musician began at Boston Latin School, where he first discovered an affinity for music. His talent was further nurtured and honed when he attended Harvard University, studying music theory and composition. Upon graduation, his passion led him to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied conducting. Bernstein then joined the ranks of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as an assistant conductor in 1943, ultimately becoming its music director in 1958. Over the span of an illustrious career, Bernstein composed music for opera, ballet, orchestral performances, choruses, piano, and even film scores. Works like Candide, On the Town, and Chichester Psalms exhibit the range of his compositional skills. Beyond his musical accomplishments, Bernstein was known for his charismatic persona and prodigious ability to educate and inspire others about music. His contributions to television series like Omnibus and Young People's Concerts are testaments to his enduring legacy as both a musician and educator. Despite his passing on October 14, 1990, Bernstein's influence continues to resonate in the world of music, serving as an inspiration for generations of musicians and music lovers alike.
- Brian Wilson, born on June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California, is a legendary figure in the world of music. Known for his artistic prowess as a singer, songwriter, and record producer, Wilson etched his name into the annals of pop culture history as a co-founder and lead member of The Beach Boys, one of America's most iconic rock bands. His contributions to music have been recognized with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and by winning a Grammy Award for his solo work. Wilson's musical journey is marked by innovation and resilience. He was the principal songwriter behind The Beach Boys' success in the 1960s, composing many of their biggest hits such as "Good Vibrations," and "I Get Around". His experimental approach to harmonies, melodies, and recording techniques, particularly on the album Pet Sounds, significantly influenced the music industry and continues to inspire musicians to this day. Despite battling mental health issues that caused him to retreat from public life periodically, Wilson continued to produce music that resonated with millions around the globe. Beyond his work with The Beach Boys, Wilson also found success as a solo artist. His eponymous debut album was released in 1988, followed by several others, including Smile - a project originally intended for The Beach Boys but completed and released by Wilson in 2004. This album was met with critical acclaim and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Brian Wilson's enduring influence and innovative spirit have made him a celebrated figure in popular music, cementing his legacy as a true musical genius.
- Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an iconic figure in the American music industry. Born on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama, he embarked on a career that spanned three decades and saw him rise from a struggling nightclub singer to a world-renowned musician. Notable for his smooth baritone voice and jazz piano performances, Nat King Cole made a significant impact on the music landscape. From an early age, Cole showed an affinity for music. His family's move to Chicago when he was four years old exposed him to the city's vibrant jazz scene, fueling his passion. He formed the King Cole Trio in the mid-1940s, a group that played an essential role in elevating Cole's profile in the music arena. The trio's success led to a recording contract with Capitol Records, where Cole produced several hits like "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "The Christmas Song," and "Mona Lisa." Despite the racial prejudice he faced throughout his career, Nat King Cole broke significant barriers for African-American artists. He was the first African-American performer to host a variety television series, The Nat King Cole Show, which aired from 1956 to 1957. This achievement was a milestone in American television history, inspiring future generations of artists. Nat King Cole left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, influencing countless musicians with his exceptional talent and resilience. He passed away on February 15, 1965, but his legacy continues to resonate in the realms of jazz and pop music.
- George Gershwin (; born Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz, September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned both popular and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), the songs Swanee (1919) and Fascinating Rhythm (1924), the jazz standard I Got Rhythm (1930), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935) which spawned the hit Summertime. Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell, and Joseph Brody. He began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with Buddy DeSylva and his brother Ira Gershwin. He moved to Paris intending to study with Nadia Boulanger, but she refused him; he subsequently composed An American in Paris. He then returned to New York City and wrote Porgy and Bess with Ira and DuBose Heyward. It was initially a commercial failure but came to be considered one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century and an American cultural classic. Gershwin moved to Hollywood and composed numerous film scores until his death in 1937 from a malignant brain tumor. His compositions have been adapted for use in films and television, and several became jazz standards recorded and covered in many variations.
- (Achille) Claude Debussy (French: [aʃil klod dəbysi]; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born to a family of modest means and little cultural involvement, Debussy showed enough musical talent to be admitted at the age of ten to France's leading music college, the Conservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano, but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. He took many years to develop his mature style, and was nearly 40 when he achieved international fame in 1902 with the only opera he completed, Pelléas et Mélisande. Debussy's orchestral works include Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894), Nocturnes (1897–1899) and Images (1905–1912). His music was to a considerable extent a reaction against Wagner and the German musical tradition. He regarded the classical symphony as obsolete and sought an alternative in his "symphonic sketches", La mer (1903–1905). His piano works include two books of Préludes and two of Études. Throughout his career he wrote mélodies based on a wide variety of poetry, including his own. He was greatly influenced by the Symbolist poetic movement of the later 19th century. A small number of works, including the early La Damoiselle élue and the late Le Martyre de saint Sébastien have important parts for chorus. In his final years, he focused on chamber music, completing three of six planned sonatas for different combinations of instruments. With early influences including Russian and far-eastern music, Debussy developed his own style of harmony and orchestral colouring, derided – and unsuccessfully resisted – by much of the musical establishment of the day. His works have strongly influenced a wide range of composers including Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin, and the jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans. Debussy died from cancer at his home in Paris at the age of 55 after a composing career of a little more than 30 years.
- Igor Stravinsky, a seminal figure in the world of classical music, revolutionized the genre with his innovative compositions and pioneering approach to orchestration. Born on June 17, 1882, in Oranienbaum, Russia, he was the son of an acclaimed bass singer at the St. Petersburg Opera. Although initially studying law, Stravinsky gravitated towards music under the tutelage of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, one of Russia's most esteemed composers. Stravinsky catapulted into fame with his early works, particularly "The Firebird," "Petrushka," and "The Rite of Spring," commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes. The latter ballet, premiered in Paris in 1913, is famous for inciting a riot due to its avant-garde nature, but ultimately solidified Stravinsky's reputation as a groundbreaking composer. His subsequent works, including "The Soldier's Tale" and "Symphonies of Wind Instruments," further demonstrated his adeptness at incorporating diverse musical elements from Russian folk tunes to jazz rhythms. Throughout his life, Stravinsky continually adapted and evolved his style, moving from the primitivism of his early ballets to neoclassicism and later, serialism. This stylistic versatility, coupled with his profound influence on 20th-century music, makes him one of the most celebrated composers of his time. Despite facing numerous adversities, including two World Wars and exile from his homeland, Stravinsky never ceased to experiment and innovate. He passed away on April 6, 1971, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire musicians and composers worldwide.
- Franz Peter Schubert (German: [ˈfʁant͡s ˈpeːtɐ ˈʃuːbɐt]; 31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast oeuvre, including more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly Lieder), seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music and a large body of piano and chamber music. His major works include the Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 (Trout Quintet), the Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 (Unfinished Symphony), the three last piano sonatas (D. 958–960), the opera Fierrabras (D. 796), the incidental music to the play Rosamunde (D. 797), and the song cycles Die schöne Müllerin (D. 795) and Winterreise (D. 911). Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna, Schubert's uncommon gifts for music were evident from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his older brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at the age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with the orchestral music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813, and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher; despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert was granted admission to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his own works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever, but believed by some historians to be syphilis. Appreciation of Schubert's music while he was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased significantly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers of the 19th century, and his music continues to be popular.
- As a well-versed Russian entertainer, Sergei Prokofiev had a diverse career in the entertainment industry. Prokofiev worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "Aleksandr Nevski" (1938), "Bezhin Lug" (1937), "Ivan Grozny Kino-Balet" (1977), "Ivan Grozny Part I" with Nikolai Cherkassov (1945), "Ivan Grozny Part II" (1946) starring Nikolai Cherkassov and "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" (1966). In the eighties and the nineties, Prokofiev devoted his time to various credits, such as "Pencil Dance" (1989) starring Chris Casady, "The 9th International Tchaikovsky Competition" (PBS, 1990-91), "Romeo and Julia" with Bob Koherr (1992) and "Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould" (1994). In the early 2000s through the 2010s, Prokofiev lent his talents to projects like "Center Stage" with Amanda Schull (2000), "Bad Blood" (2001) starring Denis Lavant, "Peter & the Wolf" (2008) and the Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth hit "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" (2015). Prokofiev last worked on "Sour Grapes" (1998). Prokofiev was married to Lina Prokofiev and had two sons, Oleg Prokofiev and Sviatoslav Prokofiev. Sergei Prokofiev passed away in March 1953 at the age of 62.
- Christina Judith Perri (born August 19, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After her debut single "Jar of Hearts" was featured on the television series So You Think You Can Dance in 2010, Perri signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut extended play, The Ocean Way Sessions. Her debut studio album, Lovestrong (2011), followed soon after and has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).Perri also gained recognition for writing and recording "A Thousand Years", the love theme for the film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012), which appears on the accompanying soundtrack. The song went on to sell over 4 million copies in the United States, being certified 4× platinum. She later released her second extended play, A Very Merry Perri Christmas (2012), followed by her second studio album, Head or Heart (2014).
- Aaron Copland (; November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Composers". The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many people consider to be the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as "populist" and which the composer labeled his "vernacular" style. Works in this vein include the ballets Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, his Fanfare for the Common Man and Third Symphony. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores. After some initial studies with composer Rubin Goldmark, Copland traveled to Paris, where he first studied with Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal, then with noted pedagogue Nadia Boulanger. He studied three years with Boulanger, whose eclectic approach to music inspired his own broad taste. Determined upon his return to the U.S. to make his way as a full-time composer, Copland gave lecture-recitals, wrote works on commission and did some teaching and writing. He found composing orchestral music in the modernist style he had adapted abroad a financially contradictory approach, particularly in light of the Great Depression. He shifted in the mid-1930s to a more accessible musical style which mirrored the German idea of Gebrauchsmusik ("music for use"), music that could serve utilitarian and artistic purposes. During the Depression years, he traveled extensively to Europe, Africa, and Mexico, formed an important friendship with Mexican composer Carlos Chávez and began composing his signature works. During the late 1940s, Copland became aware that Stravinsky and other fellow composers had begun to study Arnold Schoenberg's use of twelve-tone (serial) techniques. After he had been exposed to the works of French composer Pierre Boulez, he incorporated serial techniques into his Piano Quartet (1950), Piano Fantasy (1957), Connotations for orchestra (1961) and Inscape for orchestra (1967). Unlike Schoenberg, Copland used his tone rows in much the same fashion as his tonal material—as sources for melodies and harmonies, rather than as complete statements in their own right, except for crucial events from a structural point of view. From the 1960s onward, Copland's activities turned more from composing to conducting. He became a frequent guest conductor of orchestras in the U.S. and the UK and made a series of recordings of his music, primarily for Columbia Records.
- Johannes Brahms (German: [joˈhanəs ˈbʁaːms]; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. His reputation and status as a composer are such that he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs" of music, a comment originally made by the nineteenth-century conductor Hans von Bülow. Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. A virtuoso pianist, he premiered many of his own works. He worked with some of the leading performers of his time, including the pianist Clara Schumann and the violinist Joseph Joachim (the three were close friends). Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. An uncompromising perfectionist, Brahms destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished. Brahms has been considered, by his contemporaries and by later writers, as both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters. While many contemporaries found his music too academic, his contribution and craftsmanship have been admired by subsequent figures as diverse as Arnold Schoenberg and Edward Elgar. The diligent, highly constructed nature of Brahms's works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers. Embedded within his meticulous structures, however, are deeply romantic motifs.
- Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 on and became a citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and innovative career, he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. Although much of his work was experimental and unusual, the piece with which he is most generally associated is his piano arrangement of the folk-dance tune "Country Gardens". Grainger left Australia at the age of 13 to attend the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. Between 1901 and 1914 he was based in London, where he established himself first as a society pianist and later as a concert performer, composer and collector of original folk melodies. As his reputation grew he met many of the significant figures in European music, forming important friendships with Frederick Delius and Edvard Grieg. He became a champion of Nordic music and culture, his enthusiasm for which he often expressed in private letters, sometimes in crudely racial or anti-Semitic terms. In 1914, Grainger moved to the United States, where he lived for the rest of his life, though he travelled widely in Europe and in Australia. He served briefly as a bandsman in the United States Army during the First World War through 1917–18, and took American citizenship in 1918. After his mother's suicide in 1922, he became increasingly involved in educational work. He also experimented with music machines, which he hoped would supersede human interpretation. In the 1930s he set up the Grainger Museum in Melbourne, his birthplace, as a monument to his life and works, and as a future research archive. As he grew older, he continued to give concerts and to revise and rearrange his own compositions, while writing little new music. After the Second World War, ill health reduced his levels of activity. He considered his career a failure. He gave his last concert in 1960, less than a year before his death.
- Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. He is one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century; music critic Donal Henahan stated, "Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent and such long-lasting acclaim."His Adagio for Strings (1936) has earned a permanent place in the concert repertory of orchestras. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music twice: for his opera Vanessa (1956–57) and for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1962). Also widely performed is his Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (1947), a setting for soprano and orchestra of a prose text by James Agee. At the time of Barber's death, nearly all of his compositions had been recorded.
- Franz Liszt (German: [ˈlɪst]; Hungarian: Liszt Ferencz, in modern usage Liszt Ferenc [ˈlist ˈfɛrɛnt͡s]; 22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, music teacher, arranger, and organist of the Romantic era. He was also a writer, a philanthropist, a Hungarian nationalist and a Franciscan tertiary. Liszt gained renown in Europe during the early nineteenth century for his prodigious virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was a friend, musical promoter and benefactor to many composers of his time, including Frédéric Chopin, Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Robert Schumann, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edvard Grieg, Ole Bull, Joachim Raff, Mikhail Glinka, and Alexander Borodin.A prolific composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School (Neudeutsche Schule). He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work which influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends. Among Liszt's musical contributions were the symphonic poem, developing thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form, and radical innovations in harmony.
- Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British classical music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music, orchestral and chamber pieces. His best-known works include the opera Peter Grimes (1945), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1945). Born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, the son of a dentist, Britten showed talent from an early age. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and privately with the composer Frank Bridge. Britten first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy was Born in 1934. With the premiere of Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to international fame. Over the next 28 years, he wrote 14 more operas, establishing himself as one of the leading 20th-century composers in the genre. In addition to large-scale operas for Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden, he wrote "chamber operas" for small forces, suitable for performance in venues of modest size. Among the best known of these is The Turn of the Screw (1954). Recurring themes in his operas include the struggle of an outsider against a hostile society and the corruption of innocence. Britten's other works range from orchestral to choral, solo vocal, chamber and instrumental as well as film music. He took a great interest in writing music for children and amateur performers, including the opera Noye's Fludde, a Missa Brevis, and the song collection Friday Afternoons. He often composed with particular performers in mind. His most frequent and important muse was his personal and professional partner, the tenor Peter Pears; others included Kathleen Ferrier, Jennifer Vyvyan, Janet Baker, Dennis Brain, Julian Bream, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Mstislav Rostropovich. Britten was a celebrated pianist and conductor, performing many of his own works in concert and on record. He also performed and recorded works by others, such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Mozart symphonies, and song cycles by Schubert and Schumann. Together with Pears and the librettist and producer Eric Crozier, Britten founded the annual Aldeburgh Festival in 1948, and he was responsible for the creation of Snape Maltings concert hall in 1967. In his last year, he was the first composer to be given a life peerage.
- Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (; July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 (during the Cold War).Cliburn's mother, a piano teacher and an accomplished pianist in her own right, discovered him playing at age three, mimicking one of her students and arranged for him to start taking lessons. Cliburn developed a rich, round tone and a singing-voice-like phrasing, having been taught from the start to sing each piece.Cliburn toured domestically and overseas. He played for royalty, heads of state, and every US president from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama.
- John Epperson (born April 24, 1955) is an American drag artist, actor, pianist, vocalist and writer who is mainly known for creating his stage character Lypsinka. As Lypsinka he lip-synchs to meticulously edited, show-length soundtracks culled from snippets of outrageous 20th-century female performances in movies and song.
- Dmitri Shostakovich, a luminary in the sphere of 20th-century classical music, was born on September 25, 1906, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. An only child in his family, Shostakovich displayed an early affinity for music, with his mother introducing him to piano lessons at the tender age of nine. His exceptional aptitude for music paved the way for his admission into Petrograd Conservatory in 1919, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of esteemed musicians like Alexander Glazunov and Maximilian Steinberg. Shostakovich first garnered international acclaim following the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 in 1926, which he composed as part of his graduation project at the conservatory. Despite the widespread socio-political unrest in Soviet Russia, Shostakovich's genius shone through in his wide-ranging body of work that included fifteen symphonies, six concerti, two operas, and a wealth of chamber music. His compositions often reflected the turmoil of his times, oscillating between expressions of fear, irony, and profound melancholy. Throughout his illustrious career, Shostakovich grappled with the stringent state control over artistic expression in the Soviet Union. He faced severe criticism from government authorities for his allegedly "formalist" style, particularly following the premiere of his opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. However, despite these challenges, Shostakovich remained unswervingly committed to his artistic vision. His resilience is perhaps most evident in his Symphony No. 5, which was met with tremendous public acclaim despite its covertly subversive undertones. Shostakovich passed away on August 9, 1975, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire musicians worldwide.
- Randy Newman, born on November 28, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, has left an indelible mark on the world of music through his thought-provoking lyrics and distinctive piano compositions. Grandson to a renowned film-score composer, the seeds of musicality were sown in Newman at a young age. He started piano lessons at 7 and flexed his songwriting talent in his teen years. His early professional career saw him working as a songwriter for a publishing company, penning hits for artists such as The Fleetwoods and Cilla Black. Newman's debut album self-titled Randy Newman was released in 1968, bringing his distinctive style to the forefront. It showcased his ability to create vivid characters and narratives, often laced with satirical wit and societal commentary. Despite initial commercial struggle, his work garnered critical acclaim, leading to a loyal fanbase and appreciation from his peers. His most recognized song, "Short People" from the album Little Criminals, stirred controversy but catapulted him into the mainstream limelight. A significant part of Newman's legacy lies in his contributions to film scores and soundtracks. His transition to composing for movies began with the 1971 film Cold Turkey. This venture opened new avenues for Newman, leading to an enduring relationship with Pixar Animation Studios. He composed memorable scores for films like Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Monsters, Inc., earning him numerous Grammy, Academy, and Golden Globe awards. Throughout his career, Newman's multifaceted talent, unique voice, and keen observational skills have made him a pivotal figure in American music and film history.
- Robert Schumann (German: [ˈʃuːman]; 8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. His teacher, Friedrich Wieck, a German pianist, had assured him that he could become the finest pianist in Europe, but a hand injury ended this dream. Schumann then focused his musical energies on composing. In 1840, after a long and acrimonious legal battle with Wieck, who opposed the marriage, Schumann married Wieck's daughter Clara. Before their marriage, Clara—also a composer—had substantially supported her father through her considerable career as a pianist. Together, Clara and Robert encouraged, and maintained a close relationship with, German composer Johannes Brahms. Until 1840, Schumann wrote exclusively for the piano. Later, he composed piano and orchestral works, many Lieder (songs for voice and piano). He composed four symphonies, one opera, and other orchestral, choral, and chamber works. His best-known works include Carnaval, Symphonic Studies, Kinderszenen, Kreisleriana, and the Fantasie in C. His writings about music appeared mostly in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music), a Leipzig-based publication that he co-founded. Schumann suffered from a mental disorder that first manifested in 1833 as a severe melancholic depressive episode—which recurred several times alternating with phases of "exaltation" and increasingly also delusional ideas of being poisoned or threatened with metallic items. After a suicide attempt in 1854, Schumann was admitted at his own request to a mental asylum in Endenich near Bonn. Diagnosed with psychotic melancholia, he died two years later at the age of 46 without recovering from his mental illness.
- Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (French: [fʁɑ̃sis ʒɑ̃ maʁsɛl pulɛ̃k]; 7 January 1899 – 30 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodies, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-known are the piano suite Trois mouvements perpétuels (1919), the ballet Les biches (1923), the Concert champêtre (1928) for harpsichord and orchestra, the Organ Concerto (1938), the opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1957), and the Gloria (1959) for soprano, choir and orchestra. As the only son of a prosperous manufacturer Poulenc was expected to follow his father into the family firm, and he was not allowed to enrol at a music college. Largely self-educated musically, he studied with the pianist Ricardo Viñes, who became his mentor after the composer's parents died. Poulenc also made the acquaintance of Erik Satie, under whose tutelage he became one of a group of young composers known collectively as Les Six. In his early works Poulenc became known for his high spirits and irreverence. During the 1930s a much more serious side to his nature emerged, particularly in the religious music he composed from 1936 onwards, which he alternated with his more light-hearted works. In addition to composing, Poulenc was an accomplished pianist. He was particularly celebrated for his performing partnerships with the baritone Pierre Bernac (who also advised him in vocal writing) and the soprano Denise Duval, touring in Europe and America with each, and making many recordings. He was among the first composers to see the importance of the gramophone, and he recorded extensively from 1928 onwards. In his later years, and for decades after his death, Poulenc had a reputation, particularly in his native country, as a humorous, lightweight composer, and his religious music was often overlooked. During the 21st century more attention has been given to his serious works, with many new productions of Dialogues des Carmélites and La voix humaine worldwide, and numerous live and recorded performances of his songs and choral music.
- Béla Viktor János Bartók (; Hungarian: Bartók Béla, pronounced [ˈbɒrtoːk ˈbeːlɒ]; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers (Gillies 2001). Through his collection and analytical study of folk music, he was one of the founders of comparative musicology, which later became ethnomusicology.
- Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов) (1 April [O.S. 20 March] 1873 – 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist and conductor of the late Romantic period, some of whose works are among the most popular in the Romantic repertoire. Born into a musical family, Rachmaninoff took up the piano at age four. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, having already composed several piano and orchestral pieces. In 1897, following the negative critical reaction to his Symphony No. 1, Rachmaninoff entered a four-year depression and composed little until successful therapy allowed him to complete his enthusiastically received Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1901. For the next sixteen years, Rachmaninoff conducted at the Bolshoi Theatre, relocated to Dresden, Germany, and toured the United States for the first time. Following the Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff and his family left Russia; in 1918, they settled in the United States, first in New York City. With his main source of income coming from piano and conducting performances, demanding tour schedules led to a reduction in his time for composition; between 1918 and 1943, he completed just six works, including Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No. 3, and Symphonic Dances. By 1942, his failing health led to his relocation to Beverly Hills, California. One month before his death from advanced melanoma, Rachmaninoff was granted American citizenship. In Rachmaninoff's work, early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, and other Russian composers gave way to a personal style notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness and rich orchestral colors. Rachmaninoff often featured the piano in his compositions, and he explored the expressive possibilities of the instrument through his own skills as a pianist.
- Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( GREEG, Norwegian: [ˈɛdvɑɖ ˈhɑːɡərʉp ˈɡrɪɡː]; 15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use and development of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions brought the music of Norway to international consciousness, as well as helping to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius and Bedřich Smetana did in Finland and Bohemia, respectively.Grieg is the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen, with numerous statues depicting his image, and many cultural entities named after him: the city's largest concert building (Grieg Hall), its most advanced music school (Grieg Academy) and its professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor). The Edvard Grieg Museum at Grieg's former home, Troldhaugen, is dedicated to his legacy.
- Known as a foundational figure in rock and roll, Richard Wayne Penniman, famously known as Little Richard, was born on December 5, 1932, in Macon, Georgia. Being one of 12 children, his early life was steeped in the rhythms of gospel music, which played an integral role in shaping his flamboyant style and powerful vocals. He began his musical journey as a teenager, performing with various traveling shows and vaudeville acts. His vibrant personality and unique musical style grabbed attention quickly, and he started recording in the early 1950s. Little Richard's breakthrough came in 1955 when he signed with Specialty Records. His first hit, "Tutti Frutti," was released later that year, reaching No. 2 on Billboard's R&B chart, and it was followed by a string of hits over the next several years, including "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," and "Lucille." These records played a significant role in defining the energetic and rebellious spirit of rock and roll. The infectious rhythm, combined with his enthusiastic performance style, made him an exciting and controversial figure in the conservative music world of the 1950s. Although Little Richard enjoyed considerable success, his career was not without its challenges. He abruptly left the music industry in 1957 to become an ordained minister and gospel musician. However, he returned to rock and roll in the mid-1960s. His influence on the music world is indisputable, having inspired countless musicians across different genres, from the Beatles to Prince. Aside from his revolutionary impact on music, Little Richard is also recognized for challenging racial and gender norms in the mid-twentieth century. His legacy continues to be celebrated worldwide, underscoring his place as a true pioneer of rock and roll.
- Celebrated avant-garde composer Philip Glass carved out a significant niche for himself with innovative and bold orchestrations that won him an international reputation and cult following as the most recognized practitioner of minimalism. "Rolling Stone" has called the creator of the ground-breaking operatic classic "Einstein on the Beach" (1976) the most important living composer, and he has effectively employed his hypnotic arpeggios, staggered pacing and measured chord movements to enhance the visual elements in films, both documentary and fiction.
- Marié Christina Digby ( MAR-ee-AY; born April 16, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist known for her acoustic cover version of Rihanna's "Umbrella", which was posted on YouTube in 2007 (and has since been viewed over 22 million times). The song was subsequently played on the radio station STAR 98.7, was featured on the highly rated third season opening episode of the MTV show The Hills, and peaked at #10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. Digby performed the song on the late night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly on August 2, 2007. Since then, Digby has released several studio albums, EPs and singles, including one Japanese cover album. Her fifth and latest studio album Winter Fields was released on October 29, 2013. On August 16, 2014, Marié released Chimera, a 3 track EP.
- Josh Dolgin, better known by his stage name Socalled, is a Canadian rapper and record producer, known for his eclectic mix of hip hop, klezmer, and other styles such as drum & bass and folk music. A pianist and accordion player, he has taught the latter at Klezfest London, where he has also run workshops in "hiphopkele". He has played with clarinetist David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness!, and has also worked with artists such as rapper C-Rayz Walz, Chilly Gonzales, funk trombonist Fred Wesley, and Sophie Solomon. Dolgin has Ukrainian, Romanian and Russian roots. Dolgin's Socalled collective and guests celebrated the Jewish Festival of Lights with the seasonal concert "Hip Hop Hanukkah" in 2007. He is the subject of The "Socalled" Movie, a documentary released in 2010 by Garry Beitel for the National Film Board of Canada, which also features Krakauer and Wesley. The documentary includes footage of the first "Klezmer Cruise", in which a boatload of klezmer fans sailed down the Dnieper River in the Ukraine. In 2013, his remix of Moe Koffman's "Curried Soul" became the new theme music for CBC Radio One's As It Happens.
- A performer of stage, screen and radio, Jimmy Durante possessed a unique gravelly voice, a raucous manner and a persona which later in life radiated a love of the old showbiz traditions of vaudeville and slapstick. He began his career playing honky-tonk piano in New York saloons, working his way into a vaudeville act with partners Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson. The three opened the Club Durant in 1919, a speakeasy which rocketed them to fame. The trio spent the 1920s entertaining from their club as well as on the vaudeville circuit, including a long run at the Palace Theater. They also appeared in Ziegfeld's "Show Girl" (1929) and Cole Porter's "The New Yorkers" (1930). Durante--with his brash, lovable mien and cries of "hotcha-cha!"--branched out alone in such Broadway shows as "Strike Me Pink" (1933), Billy Rose's "Jumbo" (1935) with a score by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and book by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, and another Cole Porter musical, "Red, Hot and Blue." He also made numerous radio appearances in the 1930s and 1940s. Durante's film career started with "Roadhouse Nights" (1930). He was successfully teamed with Marion Davies in "Blondie of the Follies" (1932). Durante appeared in a total of 21 films in the 1930s, of which the most notable were "The Phantom President" (1932), with George M. Cohan, the all-star "Hollywood Party" (1934), in which he served as host, and "Palooka" (1934), which introduced his theme song, "Inka-Dinka-Doo." He made another 15 films, mostly as an avuncular character actor and sidekick. Among his best were the Frank Sinatra musical "It Happened in Brooklyn" (1947), the Esther Williams splasher "On an Island with You" (1948), "Billy Rose's Jumbo" (1962) and his swan song, literally "kicking the bucket" in the all-star "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963). He guested on numerous TV shows through the early 1950s, finally earning his own popular series from 1954-57 (first on NBC, then CBS). He continued popping up on variety specials through the early 1970s, and narrated the frequently re-run Christmas special "Frosty the Snowman" (CBS, 1969). A kind and much-loved man on-stage and off, Durante's rasped exclamations "Everybody wants ta get into th' act!," "Stop da music!" and "Surrounded by assassins!" have entered the American consciousness.
- Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, was a prodigious talent whose profound influence resonates in various music genres. Her journey into music began at an early age, with her demonstrating extraordinary piano skills and a captivating voice that would later earn her the title "The High Priestess of Soul". Despite enduring severe hardships, including racial discrimination, Simone's unyielding resilience and passion for music led her to amass a formidable body of work, which includes over 40 albums. Simone's music was a vibrant fusion of gospel, pop, classical, jazz, blues, and folk, providing a unique backdrop to her powerful contralto vocals. Notable tracks like "I Put a Spell on You," "Feeling Good," and "Sinnerman" bear witness to her musical versatility. However, it was not just her music that made Simone a significant figure. She was also a steadfast civil rights activist, using her platform to address racial inequality. Her politically charged songs like "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. Despite facing numerous personal challenges, including mental health issues and financial struggles, Simone's legacy remains intact. Her indomitable spirit and iconic music have continued to inspire generations of artists across the globe. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2018, a testament to her enduring impact on the music industry. Nina Simone passed away on April 21, 2003, but her life and career continue to reverberate as a symbol of resistance, determination, and unparalleled musical genius.
- Though he had written film scores for some of the greatest directors of all time, including Alfred Hitchcock, Oliver Stone, and George Lucas, composer John Williams was clearly defined by his long-running collaboration with Steven Spielberg. Though prolific and accomplished in his own right, Williams reached unprecedented heights, thanks to his iconic scores for Spielberg-helmed classics "Jaws" (1975), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) , "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), and "Jurassic Park" (1993). Spielberg even had an indirect hand in Williams composing the music for "Star Wars" (1977), perhaps the most iconic and popular film score ever recorded. In all, Williams was decorated with an incalculable number of awards, including Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes, while earning a reputation for churning out high quality work but with a rare degree of humility and self-effacement. Outside of his work with Spielberg and Lucas, he was responsible for other culturally-prominent scores, including "Superman: The Movie" (1978) and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001). Though his output declined in his later years - he was an active conductor of the world's greatest orchestras - Williams remained, without a doubt, the most successful film composer of all time.
- 1Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back292 Votes
- 2Raiders of the Lost Ark263 Votes
- 3Star Wars: A New Hope263 Votes
- Henry Dixon Cowell (; March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s: Henry Cowell's music covers a wider range in both expression and technique than that of any other living composer. His experiments begun three decades ago in rhythm, in harmony, and in instrumental sonorities were considered then by many to be wild. Today they are the Bible of the young and still, to the conservatives, "advanced."... No other composer of our time has produced a body of works so radical and so normal, so penetrating and so comprehensive. Add to this massive production his long and influential career as a pedagogue, and Henry Cowell's achievement becomes impressive indeed. There is no other quite like it. To be both fecund and right is given to few.
- Glenn Herbert Gould (; 25 September 1932 – 4 October 1982) was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most-celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Gould's playing was distinguished by a remarkable technical proficiency and a capacity to articulate the contrapuntal texture of Bach's music. Gould rejected most of the standard Romantic piano literature by Chopin, Liszt, and others, in favor of Baroque, Renaissance, late-Romantic, and modernist composers. Although his recordings were dominated by Bach and Beethoven, Gould's repertoire was diverse, including works by Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, pre-Baroque composers such as Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Orlando Gibbons and William Byrd, and such 20th-century composers as Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss. Gould was known for his eccentricities, from his unorthodox musical interpretations and mannerisms at the keyboard, to aspects of his lifestyle and behaviour. He stopped giving concerts at the age of 31 to concentrate on studio recording and other projects. Gould was also a writer, broadcaster, and conductor. He was a prolific contributor to musical journals, in which he discussed music theory and outlined his musical philosophy. He performed on television and radio, and produced three musique concrète radio documentaries called the Solitude Trilogy, about isolated areas of Canada.
- Enrique Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916) was a Spanish pianist and composer of classical music.
- Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛlmuːt ˈha͡ɪnʁɪç ˈvaldəmaːɐ ˈʃmɪt]; 23 December 1918 – 10 November 2015) was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1974 to 1982. Before becoming Chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence (1969–1972) and as Minister of Finance (1972–1974). In the latter role he gained credit for his financial policies. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting Foreign Minister. As Chancellor, he focused on international affairs, seeking "political unification of Europe in partnership with the United States" and issuing proposals that led to the NATO Double-Track Decision in 1979 to deploy US Pershing II missiles to Europe. He was an energetic diplomat who sought European co-operation and international economic co-ordination and was the leading force in creating the European Monetary System in 1978. He was re-elected chancellor in 1976 and 1980, but his coalition fell apart in 1982 with the switch by his coalition allies, the Free Democratic Party. He retired from Parliament in 1986, after clashing with the SPD's left wing, who opposed him on defence and economic issues. In 1986 he was a leading proponent of European monetary union and a European Central Bank.
- Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music and chamber music. His best-known works include his Overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the oratorio Elijah, the overture The Hebrides, his mature Violin Concerto, and his String Octet. The melody for the Christmas carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is also his. Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words are his most famous solo piano compositions. A grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family. He was brought up without religion until the age of seven, when he was baptised as a Reformed Christian. Felix was recognised early as a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalise on his talent. Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany, and revived interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, notably with his performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. He became well received in his travels throughout Europe as a composer, conductor and soloist; his ten visits to Britain – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes set him apart from more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatory, which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has been re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.
- Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition Sinfonia and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled Sequenza) and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.
- Karol Maciej Szymanowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˌkarɔl ˌmat͡ɕɛj ʂɨmaˈnɔfskʲi]; 3 October 1882 – 29 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist, the most celebrated Polish composer of the early 20th century. He is considered a member of the late 19th-/early 20th-century modernist movement Young Poland and widely viewed as one of the greatest Polish composers. The early works show the influence of the late Romantic German school as well as the early works of Alexander Scriabin, as exemplified by his Étude Op. 4 No. 3 and his first two symphonies. Later, he developed an impressionistic and partially atonal style, represented by such works as the Third Symphony and his Violin Concerto No. 1. His third period was influenced by the folk music of the Polish Górale people, including the ballet Harnasie, the Fourth Symphony, and his sets of Mazurkas for piano. Król Roger composed between 1918 and 1924, remains the most popular opera by Szymanowski. His other significant works include opera Hagith, Symphony No. 2, The Love Songs of Hafiz, and Stabat Mater. He was awarded the highest national honors, including the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and other distinctions, both Polish and foreign.
- Bruce Hornsby, an American singer-songwriter and pianist, has carved an indelible niche in the world of music with his diverse style and remarkable talent. Born in Williamsburg, Virginia, on November 23, 1954, Hornsby showcased an affinity for music from a young age which later transformed into a compelling career. His journey began at the University of Miami's School of Music, where he studied jazz piano before transferring to the University of Richmond. He also spent time at Berklee College of Music in Boston, further nurturing his musicianship. Hornsby's breakthrough came in the mid-1980s when he formed Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The band achieved notable success, particularly with their debut album The Way It Is which topped the charts in 1986. The title track not only became a global hit but also won the Grammy Award for Best New Song in 1987, establishing Hornsby as a significant influence in the music industry. He continued to make waves by experimenting with different genres like bluegrass, jazz, blues, and jam band music in his subsequent albums. In addition to his solo career, Hornsby's collaborations have been equally consequential. He played over a hundred shows with the Grateful Dead between 1988 and 1995, significantly enriching their performances with his keyboard skills. He has also worked with other renowned artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Bela Fleck, and Elton John, cementing his reputation as a versatile and respected musician. Despite the shifts in music trends over the decades, Bruce Hornsby's unswerving commitment to his craft and his ability to create thought-provoking, genre-blending music ensures that he remains a pillar in the ever-evolving music landscape.
- Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (; Russian: Владимир Самойлович Горовиц; Ukrainian: Володимир Самійлович Горовиць; Yiddish: וולאדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ; October 1 [O.S. September 18] 1903 – November 5, 1989) was an American classical pianist and composer born in the Russian Empire. He was acclaimed for his virtuoso technique, his tone color, and the excitement engendered by his playing. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time.
- Colbie Marie Caillat ( (listen); born May 28, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic Records, she released her debut album, Coco, in July 2007. The album included the hit singles "Bubbly" and "Realize", and has sold 2,060,000 copies in the US, and is certified 2x Platinum. In 2008 she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy Award. In August 2009 she released Breakthrough, her second album, which became her first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. It has been certified gold by the RIAA. Breakthrough was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2010 Grammy Awards. She was also part of the group that won Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards for her background vocals and writing on Taylor Swift's Fearless album. In July 2011 she released her third studio album, All of You. In October 2012 she released her first Christmas album, Christmas in the Sand. Since 2018, she has been a member of the country music group Gone West. Caillat has sold over six million albums worldwide and over 10 million singles. In 2009 she was named Billboard magazine's 94th-best-selling music artist of the 2000s.
- 1Coco13 Votes
- 2All of You8 Votes
- 3Breakthrough10 Votes
- Georges Bizet (UK: BEE-zay, US: bee-ZAY, French: [ʒɔʁʒ bizɛ]; 25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875), registered at birth as Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, which has become one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire. During a brilliant student career at the Conservatoire de Paris, Bizet won many prizes, including the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1857. He was recognised as an outstanding pianist, though he chose not to capitalise on this skill and rarely performed in public. Returning to Paris after almost three years in Italy, he found that the main Parisian opera theatres preferred the established classical repertoire to the works of newcomers. His keyboard and orchestral compositions were likewise largely ignored; as a result, his career stalled, and he earned his living mainly by arranging and transcribing the music of others. Restless for success, he began many theatrical projects during the 1860s, most of which were abandoned. Neither of his two operas that reached the stage in this time—Les pêcheurs de perles and La jolie fille de Perth—were immediately successful. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, during which Bizet served in the National Guard, he had little success with his one-act opera Djamileh, though an orchestral suite derived from his incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne was instantly popular. The production of Bizet's final opera, Carmen, was delayed because of fears that its themes of betrayal and murder would offend audiences. After its premiere on 3 March 1875, Bizet was convinced that the work was a failure; he died of a heart attack three months later, unaware that it would prove a spectacular and enduring success. Bizet's marriage to Geneviève Halévy was intermittently happy and produced one son. After his death, his work, apart from Carmen, was generally neglected. Manuscripts were given away or lost, and published versions of his works were frequently revised and adapted by other hands. He founded no school and had no obvious disciples or successors. After years of neglect, his works began to be performed more frequently in the 20th century. Later commentators have acclaimed him as a composer of brilliance and originality whose premature death was a significant loss to French musical theatre.
- Scott Joplin (c. 1867/68 or November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions and was dubbed the King of Ragtime. During his brief career, he wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has been recognized as the archetypal rag.Joplin grew up in a musical family of railway laborers in Texarkana, Arkansas, and developed his own musical knowledge with the help of local teachers. While in Texarkana, Texas, he formed a vocal quartet and taught mandolin and guitar. During the late 1880s he left his job as a railroad laborer and travelled the American South as an itinerant musician. He went to Chicago for the World's Fair of 1893, which played a major part in making ragtime a national craze by 1897. Joplin moved to Sedalia, Missouri, in 1894 and earned a living as a piano teacher. There he taught future ragtime composers Arthur Marshall, Scott Hayden and Brun Campbell. He began publishing music in 1895, and publication of his "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899 brought him fame. This piece had a profound influence on writers of ragtime. It also brought Joplin a steady income for life, though he did not reach this level of success again and frequently had financial problems. In 1901 Joplin moved to St. Louis, where he continued to compose and publish, and regularly performed in the community. The score to his first opera A Guest of Honor was confiscated in 1903 with his belongings for non-payment of bills, and is now considered lost.In 1907, Joplin moved to New York City to find a producer for a new opera. He attempted to go beyond the limitations of the musical form that made him famous, but without much monetary success. His second opera, Treemonisha, was never fully staged during his lifetime. In 1916, Joplin descended into dementia as a result of syphilis. He was admitted to a mental institution in January 1917, and died there three months later at the age of 48. Joplin's death is widely considered to mark the end of ragtime as a mainstream music format; over the next several years, it evolved with other styles into stride, jazz, and eventually big band swing. Joplin's music was rediscovered and returned to popularity in the early 1970s with the release of a million-selling album recorded by Joshua Rifkin. This was followed by the Academy Award-winning 1973 film The Sting that featured several of Joplin's compositions, most notably "The Entertainer", whose performance by pianist Marvin Hamlisch received wide airplay. Treemonisha was finally produced in full, to wide acclaim, in 1972. In 1976, Joplin was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
- Janel Meilani Parrish (born October 30, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Mona Vanderwaal on the Freeform mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars. She is also known for portraying Young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Misérables (1996), and Jade in the teen comedy film Bratz (2007). In 2014, Parrish participated in the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars, taking third place. She also appeared in the 2018 Netflix film To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
- Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist. Tatum grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he began playing professionally and had his own radio program, rebroadcast nationwide, while still in his teens. He left Toledo in 1932 and had residencies as a solo pianist at clubs in major urban centers including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Tatum also played for long periods at night in after-hours venues – at which he was often more spontaneous and creative than in his paid-for performances – and drank enormous quantities of alcohol. Although drinking did not negatively affect his playing, it did damage his health. In the 1940s, Tatum led a commercially successful trio for a short time and began playing in more formal jazz concert settings, including at Norman Granz-produced Jazz at the Philharmonic events. Granz recorded Tatum extensively in solo and small group formats in the mid-1950s, with the last session occurring only two months before the pianist's death from uremia at the age of 47. Tatum is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists. His playing encompassed everything that had come before, added great harmonic and rhythmic imagination and complexity, and was often at very high speed. He extended what was considered possible in jazz piano and established new ground in jazz more broadly through innovative use of reharmonization, voicing, and bitonality.
- Edward Alexander MacDowell (December 18, 1860 – January 23, 1908) was an American composer and pianist of the late Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites Woodland Sketches, Sea Pieces and New England Idylls. Woodland Sketches includes his most popular short piece, "To a Wild Rose". In 1904 he was one of the first seven Americans honored by membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- As one of the most gifted and decorated film composers of his generation, Marvin Hamlisch became one of only two people in history to amass an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize in his lifetime. It was small wonder that Hamlisch achieved such greatness, having scored some of the biggest, most memorable films in cinema history, including "The Sting" (1974), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977), "Ordinary People" (1980) and "Sophie's Choice" (1982). But it was his longtime collaboration with Barbra Streisand that earned Hamlisch acclaim on both stage and screen. Starting with his chance hiring as a rehearsal pianist for the Broadway debut of "Funny Girl" (1964), Hamlisch and Streisand established themselves as a vibrant collaborative force with the romantic drama, "The Way We Were" (1973). Years later, he joined Streisand as the conductor for her 1994 concert tour, which was filmed for HBO and earned him two Emmy Awards. Following his Oscar-nominated music for her star vehicle, "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996), he won another Emmy for arranging and conducting the music for the television special, "Barbra Streisand - Timeless" (Fox, 2001), which confirmed that Hamlisch was perhaps the single most accomplished composer working in Hollywood.
- Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary figures of his time, and he was a sought-after keyboard instructor and a teacher of composition. From an early age, Busoni was an outstanding if sometimes controversial pianist. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory and then with Wilhelm Mayer and Carl Reinecke. After brief periods teaching in Helsinki, Boston, and Moscow, he devoted himself to composing, teaching, and touring as a virtuoso pianist in Europe and the United States. His writings on music were influential, and covered not only aesthetics but considerations of microtones and other innovative topics. He was based in Berlin from 1894 but spent much of World War I in Switzerland. He began composing in his early years in a late romantic style, but after 1907, when he published his Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music, he developed a more individual style, often with elements of atonality. His visits to America led to interest in North American indigenous tribal melodies which were reflected in some of his works. His compositions include works for piano, among them a monumental Piano Concerto, and transcriptions of the works of others, notably Johann Sebastian Bach (published as the Bach-Busoni Editions). He also wrote chamber music, vocal and orchestral works, and operas—one of which, Doktor Faust, he left unfinished when he died, in Berlin, at the age of 58.
- Burt Bacharach, an esteemed figure in the realm of music, was born on May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri. Early on, he was exposed to the melodic world, which ignited his passion for music. A classically trained pianist, Bacharach studied music at McGill University and Mannes School of Music. He later attended the Berklee College of Music and pursued a degree in music composition at the New School for Social Research. Launching his career in the 1950s, Bacharach became one of the most important composers of popular music in the 20th century. His partnership with lyricist Hal David resulted in myriad hit songs that were performed by some of the era's most renowned artists, including Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Dusty Springfield, and Tom Jones. Their collaborations yielded timeless classics such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?". The duo's unique blend of jazz, pop, Brazilian music, and rhythm and blues captivated audiences across the globe and left an indelible mark on popular culture. Bacharach's multitudinous contributions to music have been recognized with numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards and eight Grammy Awards. His song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," written for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Furthermore, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Even years after his initial breakthrough, Burt Bacharach's melodic genius and unparalleled talent continue to resonate, influencing generations of musicians and delighting audiences around the world.
- Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian-born English composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Encouraged to study music by his father, he was sponsored as a young composer by Sir Peter Beckford who took him to England to advance his studies. Later, he toured Europe numerous times from his long-standing base in London. It was on one of these occasions, in 1781, that he engaged in a piano competition with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Influenced by Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord school and Haydn's classical school and by the stile galante of Johann Christian Bach and Ignazio Cirri, Clementi developed a fluent and technical legato style, which he passed on to a generation of pianists, including John Field, Johann Baptist Cramer, Ignaz Moscheles, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Carl Czerny. He was a notable influence on Ludwig van Beethoven and Frederic Chopin. Clementi also produced and promoted his own brand of pianos and was a notable music publisher. Because of this activity, many compositions by Clementi's contemporaries and earlier artists have stayed in the repertoire. Though the reputation of Clementi was exceeded only by Haydn and Beethoven in his day, his popularity languished for much of the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Earl Wild (November 26, 1915 – January 23, 2010) was an American pianist known for his transcriptions of jazz and classical music.
- Éric Alfred Leslie Satie (French: [eʁik sati]; 17 May 1866 – 1 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. Satie was an influential artist in the late 19th- and early 20th-century Parisian avant-garde. His work was a precursor to later artistic movements such as minimalism, repetitive music, and the Theatre of the Absurd.An eccentric, Satie was introduced as a "gymnopedist" in 1887, shortly before writing his most famous compositions, the Gymnopédies. Later, he also referred to himself as a "phonometrician" (meaning "someone who measures sounds"), preferring this designation to that of "musician", after having been called "a clumsy but subtle technician" in a book on contemporary French composers published in 1911.In addition to his body of music, Satie was "a thinker with a gift of eloquence" who left a remarkable set of writings, having contributed work for a range of publications, from the dadaist 391 to the American culture chronicle Vanity Fair. Although in later life he prided himself on publishing his work under his own name, in the late 19th century he appears to have used pseudonyms such as Virginie Lebeau and François de Paule in some of his published writings.
- A popular and gifted composer and conductor who enjoyed success in multiple mediums, Andre Previn won four Best Music Oscars for "My Fair Lady" (1964), among others, before embarking on a lengthy second career as a conductor for some of the world's most acclaimed symphony orchestras. Born Andreas Ludwig Previn on April 6, 1929, in Berlin, Germany, he was the son of an amateur pianist and showed remarkable aptitude, as well as perfect pitch, before the age of six years old. He was soon enrolled at the Berlin Conservatory, but the rise of the Nazis spurred his family, who were Jewish, to relocate to Paris, France. There, Previn studied at the Paris Conservatory before moving again, this time to the United States, where they settled in New York City and later, Los Angeles, California. There, he became a U.S. citizen in 1943, and supported the family by playing in jazz clubs at an movie houses. He also learned English through comic books and movies, and the latter medium provided Previn with his first entry into professional music. His father's second cousin, Charles Previn, was the music director for Universal Studios, and while Previn was still a student at Beverly Hills High School, he began working as a composer, conductor and arranger for MGM. He earned his first screen credit as composer for "The Sun Comes Up" (1949), a vehicle for canine star Lassie, but after serving in the U.S. Army in 1950, returned to Hollywood, where he worked his way up to composing, conducting and arranging for such prestige pictures as "Gigi" (1958) and "Porgy & Bess" (1959), for which he won his first of four eventual Academy Awards. During this period, Previn also recorded numerous jazz albums, both as performer and arranger, and collaborated with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Shorty Rogers. At the height of his success in Hollywood, with two more Oscars to his name for "Irma la Douce" (1963) and "My Fair Lady" (1964), Previn decided to dream of conducting for orchestra, and joined the St. Louis Symphony in 1963. Four years later, he was selected to conduct the Houston Symphony Orchestra, but left in 1968 to become principal conductor for the London Symphony, and remained there for the next 11 years. During this period, Previn's music career threatened to be overshadowed by his personal life: he had become romantically involved with actress Mia Farrow while still married to singer Dory Previn, and the Previns' subsequent divorce, coupled with Dory Previn's hospitalization for a mental breakdown, lent a patina of scandal to his marriage to Farrow in 1970. The couple would remain together for the next nine years, producing two children and adopting three more, including a Korean girl named Soon-Yi,who would generate her own scandal decades later by becoming romantically involved with Farrow's significant other, Woody Allen. Despite the negative attention, Previn remained a popular figure in the classical music world and other mediums: he was the star of a series of well-regarded music programs made by BBC Television during his tenure with the London Symphony, and his subsequent efforts as musical director and/or principal conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic drew sizable audience numbers. Previn also wrote and recorded numerous musical works, ranging from symphonies and concerts for cello, guitar and violin to orchestral works, the musical "Coco," about designer Coco Chanel in 1970, and an opera based on "A Streetcar Named Desire" which debuted in 1998. After serving as orchestral director of the Oslo Philharmonic from 2002 to 2006, Previn wrote a second opera, based on the 1945 film "Brief Encounter," which premiered in 2009. He continued to remain active during the final years of his life, balancing conducting assignments with lifetime achievement awards from the Kennedy Center Honors and Recording Academy, among others. He also worked extensively with the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, to whom he was married from 2002 to 2006. Previn died at his home in Manhattan on February 28, 2019 at the age of 89.
- James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009), professionally known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician, best known as the drummer, songwriter, backing vocalist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The Rev was widely regarded and critically acclaimed for his work on Avenged Sevenfold albums, and contributed entire songs composed by himself, such as "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", and "Almost Easy". He was also the lead vocalist/pianist in Pinkly Smooth, a side project where he was known by the name Rathead, with fellow Avenged Sevenfold member, guitarist Synyster Gates (Brian Elwin Haner Jr.), and he was the drummer for Suburban Legends from 1998 to 1999.
- Bedřich Smetana ( BED-ər-zhikh SMET-ə-nə, Czech: [ˈbɛdr̝ɪx ˈsmɛtana] (listen); 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Internationally he is best known for his opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Homeland"), which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's native Bohemia. It contains the famous symphonic poem "Vltava", also known by its English name "The Moldau". Smetana was naturally gifted as a composer, and gave his first public performance at the age of 6. After conventional schooling, he studied music under Josef Proksch in Prague. His first nationalistic music was written during the 1848 Prague uprising, in which he briefly participated. After failing to establish his career in Prague, he left for Sweden, where he set up as a teacher and choirmaster in Gothenburg, and began to write large-scale orchestral works. During this period of his life Smetana was twice married; of six daughters, three died in infancy. In the early 1860s, a more liberal political climate in Bohemia encouraged Smetana to return permanently to Prague. He threw himself into the musical life of the city, primarily as a champion of the new genre of Czech opera. In 1866 his first two operas, The Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The Bartered Bride, were premiered at Prague's new Provisional Theatre, the latter achieving great popularity. In that same year, Smetana became the theatre's principal conductor, but the years of his conductorship were marked by controversy. Factions within the city's musical establishment considered his identification with the progressive ideas of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner inimical to the development of a distinctively Czech opera style. This opposition interfered with his creative work, and might have hastened a decline in health that precipitated his resignation from the theatre in 1874. By the end of 1874, Smetana had become completely deaf but, freed from his theatre duties and the related controversies, he began a period of sustained composition that continued for almost the rest of his life. His contributions to Czech music were increasingly recognised and honoured, but a mental collapse early in 1884 led to his incarceration in an asylum and subsequent death. Smetana's reputation as the founding father of Czech music has endured in his native country, where advocates have raised his status above that of his contemporaries and successors. However, relatively few of Smetana's works are in the international repertory, and most foreign commentators tend to regard Antonín Dvořák as a more significant Czech composer.
- Jonathan McLaughlin (born September 27, 1982) is an American pop rock singer-songwriter, producer and pianist from Anderson, Indiana. His debut album Indiana was released on May 1, 2007, preceded by his first EP Industry, also known as Jon McL, in February 2007. His most successful song is the 2008 single "Beating My Heart", from his second album OK Now.
- Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929 – April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet.Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex improvisation often involving tone clusters and intricate polyrhythms. His technique has been compared to percussion. Referring to the number of keys on a standard piano, Val Wilmer used the phrase "eighty-eight tuned drums" to describe Taylor's style. He has been referred to as being "like Art Tatum with contemporary-classical leanings".
- Maurice Ravel worked on a variety of projects during his entertainment career. Ravel worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "Anatomie des Liebesakts" (1970), "Angel Number 9" (1974) and "Erotikus" with Ed Fury (1973). He also contributed to "Passion" with Isabelle Huppert (1983), "The Eye of the Heart" (1978) starring Cecil Collins and "The Paolozzi Story" (1980). In the nineties, Ravel's music continued to appear on the silver screen, including in films like the Corey Haim action picture "Prayer of the Rollerboys" (1991), the Marco DiStefano comedy "The Return of Jesus" (1992) and "Un Coeur en Hiver" (1993) with Daniel Auteuil. Ravel's music was most recently used in the period drama "The Immigrant" (2014) with Marion Cotillard. Ravel had a number of different projects under his belt in the nineties and the early 2000s, including "Any Given Sunday" (1999), "Save the Last Dance" with Julia Stiles (2001) and "The Deep End" (2001) starring Tilda Swinton. His credits also expanded to "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001) and "To the Left of the Father" with Selton Mello (2001).
- Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (French: [ʃaʁl kamij sɛ̃ sɑ̃(s)]; 9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Second Piano Concerto (1868), the First Cello Concerto (1872), Danse macabre (1874), the opera Samson and Delilah (1877), the Third Violin Concerto (1880), the Third ("Organ") Symphony (1886) and The Carnival of the Animals (1886). Saint-Saëns was a musical prodigy; he made his concert debut at the age of ten. After studying at the Paris Conservatoire he followed a conventional career as a church organist, first at Saint-Merri, Paris and, from 1858, La Madeleine, the official church of the French Empire. After leaving the post twenty years later, he was a successful freelance pianist and composer, in demand in Europe and the Americas. As a young man, Saint-Saëns was enthusiastic for the most modern music of the day, particularly that of Schumann, Liszt and Wagner, although his own compositions were generally within a conventional classical tradition. He was a scholar of musical history, and remained committed to the structures worked out by earlier French composers. This brought him into conflict in his later years with composers of the impressionist and dodecaphonic schools of music; although there were neoclassical elements in his music, foreshadowing works by Stravinsky and Les Six, he was often regarded as a reactionary in the decades around the time of his death. Saint-Saëns held only one teaching post, at the École de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris, and remained there for less than five years. It was nevertheless important in the development of French music: his students included Gabriel Fauré, among whose own later pupils was Maurice Ravel. Both of them were strongly influenced by Saint-Saëns, whom they revered as a genius.
- Ottorino Respighi ( reh-SPEE-ghee, also US: rə-, Italian: [ottoˈriːno reˈspiːɡi]; 9 July 1879 – 18 April 1936) was an Italian violinist, composer and musicologist, best known for his trilogy of orchestral tone poems: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928). His musicological interest in 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century music led him to compose pieces based on the music of these periods. He also wrote several operas, the most famous being La fiamma.
- Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist/electric keyboardist and composer. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta" and "Windows", are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed the fusion band Return to Forever. With Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett, he has been described as one of the major jazz piano voices to emerge in the post-John Coltrane era.Corea continued to pursue other collaborations and to explore musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was also known for promoting and fundraising for a number of social issues.
- Clara Schumann (; née Clara Josephine Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German musician and composer and is regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists and composers of the Romantic era. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital and composed a body of work including piano concertos, chamber works and choral pieces. She was married to composer Robert Schumann, and together they encouraged and maintained a close relationship with Johannes Brahms. She was the first to perform publicly any work by Brahms, notably the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. She was also an influential piano educator at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt.
- Gabriel Urbain Fauré (French: [ɡabʁiɛl yʁbɛ̃ fɔʁe]; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his best-known works are his Pavane, Requiem, Sicilienne, nocturnes for piano and the songs "Après un rêve" and "Clair de lune". Although his best-known and most accessible compositions are generally his earlier ones, Fauré composed many of his most highly regarded works in his later years, in a more harmonically and melodically complex style. Fauré was born into a cultured but not especially musical family. His talent became clear when he was a small boy. At the age of nine, he was sent to a music college in Paris, where he was trained to be a church organist and choirmaster. Among his teachers was Camille Saint-Saëns, who became a lifelong friend. After graduating from the college in 1865, Fauré earned a modest living as an organist and teacher, leaving him little time for composition. When he became successful in his middle age, holding the important posts of organist of the Église de la Madeleine and director of the Paris Conservatoire, he still lacked time for composing; he retreated to the countryside in the summer holidays to concentrate on composition. By his last years, Fauré was recognised in France as the leading French composer of his day. An unprecedented national musical tribute was held for him in Paris in 1922, headed by the president of the French Republic. Outside France, Fauré's music took decades to become widely accepted, except in Britain, where he had many admirers during his lifetime. Fauré's music has been described as linking the end of Romanticism with the modernism of the second quarter of the 20th century. When he was born, Chopin was still composing, and by the time of Fauré's death, jazz and the atonal music of the Second Viennese School were being heard. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, which describes him as the most advanced composer of his generation in France, notes that his harmonic and melodic innovations influenced the teaching of harmony for later generations. During the last twenty years of his life, he suffered from increasing deafness. In contrast with the charm of his earlier music, his works from this period are sometimes elusive and withdrawn in character, and at other times turbulent and impassioned.
- Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈsak alˈβeniθ]; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his contemporaries and younger composers. He is best known for his piano works based on Spanish folk music idioms. Transcriptions of many of his pieces, such as Asturias (Leyenda), Granada, Sevilla, Cadiz, Córdoba, Cataluña, Mallorca, and Tango in D, are important pieces for classical guitar, though he never composed for the guitar. The personal papers of Albéniz are preserved, among other institutions, in the Biblioteca de Catalunya.
- Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist and educator. He has performed solo and led his own groups, including the Pocket Orchestra consisting of piano, trumpet, voice, and percussion. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 70 of his jazz compositions. Hersch has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, and, as of December 2014, had been on the Jazz Studies faculty of the New England Conservatory since 1980 (with breaks).
- Steven De Groote was a South African classical pianist. Steven De Groote was born in Johannesburg, South Africa into a Belgian family in which, for three generations, almost every member had been a professional musician. His grandmother was a recipient of the Prix de Rome in Belgium, and his father the conductor of the Cape Town University Symphony. As a youngster, De Groote toured South Africa performing trios with his father on violin and brother on cello.
- Dimitri Mitropoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος; 1 March [O.S. 18 February] 1896 – 2 November 1960), was a Greek conductor, pianist, and composer. He received international fame both as a major conductor and composer of the 20th century.
- Robert Clark Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, breaking through with his first national hit and album in 1968. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the 'System' from his recordings and continued to strive for broader success with various other bands. In 1973, he put together the Silver Bullet Band, with a group of Detroit-area musicians, with whom he became most successful on the national level with the album Live Bullet (1976), recorded live with the Silver Bullet Band in 1975 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the studio album Night Moves. On his studio albums, he also worked extensively with the Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which appeared on several of Seger's best-selling singles and albums. A roots rocker with a classic raspy, powerful voice, Seger wrote and recorded songs that deal with love, women, and blue-collar themes and is an example of a heartland rock artist. Seger has recorded many hits, including "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", "Night Moves", "Turn the Page", "Still the Same", "We've Got Tonight", "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Shame on the Moon", "Like a Rock", and "Shakedown", which was written for Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Seger also co-wrote the Eagles' number-one hit "Heartache Tonight", and his recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001. With a career spanning six decades, Seger has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. Seger was named Billboard's 2015 Legend of Live honoree at the 12th annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, held November 18–19 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. He announced his farewell tour in September 2018.
- Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music, and gave herself the title of "Queen of the Blues". She was a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
- John Douglas Lord (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012) was an English composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, as well as Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, The Artwoods, and The Flower Pot Men. In 1968, Lord co-founded Deep Purple, a hard rock band of which he was regarded as the leader until 1970. Together with the other members, he collaborated on most of his band's most popular songs. He and drummer Ian Paice were the only continuous presence in the band during the period from 1968 to 1976, and also from when it was reestablished in 1984 until Lord's retirement from Deep Purple in 2002. On 11 November 2010, he was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College in Edinburgh, Scotland. On 15 July 2011, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree at De Montfort Hall by the University of Leicester. Lord was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April 2016 as a member of Deep Purple.
- Diana Krall always preferred to sing old jazz tunes, but her strong, yet feminine voice tells a modern story. Throughout her career, she immersed herself in her musical community, with friends and connections as diverse as Barbra Streisand, Ray Brown, and Elvis Costello, whom she married in 2003. Krall is one of the best-selling female jazz musicians of all time, and one of Canada's greatest musical exports. She was born on November 17, 1964 to musical parents in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She began playing piano at age four, and she was performing jazz in a hockey bar when she was fifteen. She received a scholarship to Boston's Berklee College of Music, where she graduated in 1983. She later moved back to Canada, where her talents were discovered by jazz icons Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton. The beginning of Krall's career involved a lot of travelling, moving to Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York and eventually adding her voice to her jazzy repertoire. Krall released her first album, Stepping Out, in 1993, but it was 1996's All For You, a tribute to The Nat King Cole Trio, that brought Krall success. It reached #3 on Billboard's top jazz albums chart, and her success grew with each subsequent release. In 1998, Jazz Report named Krall Musician of the Year, and in 2000, she embarked on a massive tour with Tony Bennett. Krall's music also began appearing in commercials and movies, such as "The Score" (2001), a thriller starring Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. Krall married famed rock star Elvis Costello in 2003, in a service that took place at the estate of Elton John. The couple gave birth to twin boys in 2006. In 2009, Krall produced Barbra Streisand's album Love is the Answer, a fitting production choice for an album of jazz standards. Krall released her album Glad Rag Doll in 2012. On the cover, the nearly 50-year-old singer is striking in lingerie; the songs she covered on the album came from her father's old record collection.
- William Leon Goldenberg (born February 10, 1936, Brooklyn) is an American composer and songwriter, best-known for his work on television and film.Among his most noteworthy were his collaborations with Steven Spielberg on his telefilms (in particular, Night Gallery in 1969, and Duel in 1971) and his seven-episode contribution toward the NBC Mystery Movie detective series Columbo. He composed the themes for several popular television programs, including Kojak, Alias Smith and Jones, Banacek, Rhoda and Our House. He composed the scores to countless films and TV movies including Fear No Evil (1969), Ritual of Evil (1970), The Grasshopper (1970), Red Sky at Morning (1971), Up the Sandbox (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973), Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973), Busting (1974), Reflections of Murder (1974), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), James Dean (1976), One of My Wives Is Missing (1976), The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), Helter Skelter (1976), The Domino Principle (1977), Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (1977), The Cracker Factory (1979), Scavenger Hunt (1979), This House Possessed (1981), The Best Little Girl in the World (1981), Reuben, Reuben (1983), Kane & Abel (1985), Good to Go (1986), 18 Again! (1988), Around the World in 80 Days (1989) and Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991). Goldenberg served as Musical Director for Elvis Presley's Comeback Special, The Ann-Margret Show, An Evening with Diana Ross and others. He received an Emmy Award in 1975 for the CBS miniseries Benjamin Franklin and again in 1978 for the NBC miniseries King. He has received 22 Emmy nominations in total.Goldenberg served as musical accompanist for An Evening with Elaine May and Mike Nichols. He was also the composer of the Michael Bennett-directed Broadway musical Ballroom, based on the television special Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, which he also composed.
- Jan Hammer (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈɦamɛr]) (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-American musician, composer and record producer. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the 1980s television program, Miami Vice. He has continued to work as both a musical performer and producer, expanding to producing film later in his career. Hammer has collaborated with some of the era's most influential jazz and rock musicians such as John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Tommy Bolin, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather and Elvin Jones. He has composed and produced at least 14 original motion picture soundtracks, the music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice and 20 episodes of the television series Chancer. His compositions have won him several Grammy Awards.
- Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and second (surviving) son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. His second name was given in honor of his godfather Georg Philipp Telemann, a friend of Johann Sebastian Bach. C. P. E. Bach was an influential composer working at a time of transition between his father's Baroque style and the Classical style that followed it. His personal approach, an expressive and often turbulent one known as empfindsamer Stil or 'sensitive style', applied the principles of rhetoric and drama to musical structures. Bach's dynamism stands in deliberate contrast to the more mannered galant style also then in vogue.To distinguish him from his brother Johann Christian, the "London Bach," who at this time was music master to the Queen of England, C. P. E. Bach was known as the "Berlin Bach" during his residence in that city, and later as the "Hamburg Bach" when he succeeded Telemann as Kapellmeister there. To his contemporaries, he was known simply as Emanuel.
- David Frost is an American classical record producer and pianist. He has won 16 Grammy Awards for his work including four wins for Producer of the Year, Classical. He is a music producer for the Metropolitan Opera and has recorded major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
- Gregory Jacobs (August 25, 1963 – April 22, 2021), known professionally as Shock G (and his alter ego Humpty Hump), was an American musician, rapper, and lead vocalist for the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was responsible for Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", 2Pac's breakthrough single "I Get Around", and co-producer of 2Pac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now.
- Louis Moreau Gottschalk (May 8, 1829 – December 18, 1869) was an American composer and pianist, best known as a virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside of the United States.
- Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; Russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Скря́бин [ɐlʲɪˈksandr nʲɪkəˈɫaɪvʲɪtɕ ˈskrʲæbʲɪn]; 6 January 1872 [O.S. 25 December 1871] – 27 April [O.S. 14 April] 1915) was a Russian composer and pianist. Scriabin, who was influenced early in his life by the works of Frédéric Chopin, composed works that are characterised by a highly tonal idiom (these works are associated with his "first stage" of compositional output). Later in his career, independently of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed a substantially atonal and much more dissonant musical system, which accorded with his personal brand of mysticism. Scriabin was influenced by synesthesia, and associated colours with the various harmonic tones of his atonal scale, while his colour-coded circle of fifths was also influenced by theosophy. He is considered by some to be the main Russian Symbolist composer. Scriabin was one of the most innovative and most controversial of early modern composers. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia said of Scriabin that "no composer has had more scorn heaped on him or greater love bestowed." Leo Tolstoy described Scriabin's music as "a sincere expression of genius." Scriabin had a major impact on the music world over time, and influenced composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, and Nikolai Roslavets. However Scriabin's importance in the Russian and then Soviet musical scene, and internationally, drastically declined after his death. According to his biographer Bowers, "No one was more famous during their lifetime, and few were more quickly ignored after death." Nevertheless, his musical aesthetics have been reevaluated, and his ten published sonatas for piano, which arguably provided the most consistent contribution to the genre since the time of Beethoven's set, have been increasingly championed.
- Tin Pan Alley legend who began composing for films in 1936 and won an Academy Award for "In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening" in 1951. As an actor he usually played himself, sitting at a piano, smoking a cigarette and singing a song.
- Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein (Russian: Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, tr. Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; November 28 [O.S. November 16] 1829 – November 20 [O.S. November 8] 1894) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He was the elder brother of Nikolai Rubinstein who founded the Moscow Conservatory. As a pianist, Rubinstein ranks among the great 19th-century keyboard virtuosos. He became most famous for his series of historical recitals—seven enormous, consecutive concerts covering the history of piano music. Rubinstein played this series throughout Russia and Eastern Europe and in the United States when he toured there. Although best remembered as a pianist and educator (most notably in the latter as the composition teacher of Tchaikovsky), Rubinstein was also a prolific composer throughout much of his life. He wrote 20 operas, the best known of which is The Demon. He composed a large number of other works, including five piano concertos, six symphonies and a large number of solo piano works along with a substantial output of works for chamber ensemble.
- Carl Czerny (German: [ˈtʃɛɐ̯ni]; 21 February 1791 – 15 July 1857) was an Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist of Czech origin whose vast musical production amounted to over a thousand works. His books of studies for the piano are still widely used in piano teaching.
- Rev. W.R. "Smokie" Norful, Jr. is an American gospel singer and pianist, best known for his 2002 album, I Need You Now and his 2004 release, Nothing Without You, which won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004. Norful received his second Grammy in 2015 at the 57th Annual Grammy awards for his song "No Greater Love", ten years after winning his first.
- Eileen Alannah Joyce CMG was an Australian pianist whose career spanned more than 30 years. She lived in England in her adult years. Her recordings made her popular internationally in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly during World War II; at her zenith she was compared in popular esteem with Gracie Fields and Vera Lynn. When she played in Berlin in 1947 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, an eminent German critic classed her with Clara Schumann, Sophie Menter and Teresa Carreño. When she performed in the United States in 1950, Irving Kolodin called her "the world's greatest unknown pianist". She became even better known during the 1950s, when she played 50 recitals a year in London alone, which were always sold out. She also performed a series of "Marathon Concerts", playing as many as four concertos in a single evening. Her Mozart was described as "of impeccable taste and feeling", she was a Bach player "of commanding authority", and "a Lisztian of both poetry and bravura". Her playing of the second movement of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto in the films Brief Encounter and The Seventh Veil helped popularise the work.
- Reynaldo Hahn (French: [ʁɛ.nal.do an]; August 9, 1874 – January 28, 1947) was a Venezuelan, naturalised French, composer, conductor, music critic, diarist, theatre director, and salon singer. Best known as a composer of songs, he wrote in the French classical tradition of the mélodie.
- Thomas Pasatieri (born October 20, 1945) is an American opera composer.
- Jean-Yves Thibaudet (born 7 September 1961) is a French pianist.
- Johann Nepomuk Hummel (14 November 1778 – 17 October 1837) was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.
- Michael Ponti is a concert and recording pianist.
- Stephen Andrew Gill Hough, CBE (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality (his father was born in Australia in 1926).
- Manfred Clynes (born August 14, 1925) is a scientist, inventor, and musician. He is best known for his innovations and discoveries in the interpretation of music, and for his contributions to the study of biological systems and neurophysiology.
- Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter (Russian: Святосла́в Теофи́лович Ри́хтер, tr. Sviatosláv Teofílovich Ríkhter, IPA: [svʲjətɐsˈlaf tʲɪɐˈfʲiləvʲɪtɕ ˈrʲixtər]; March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist of Russian-German origin, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. He is known for the "depth of his interpretations, his virtuoso technique, and his vast repertoire."
- Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev (Russian: Ми́лий Алексе́евич Бала́кирев, IPA: [ˈmʲilʲɪj ɐlʲɪkˈsʲeɪvʲɪtɕ bɐˈɫakʲɪrʲɪf]; 2 January 1837 [O.S. 21 December 1836] – 29 May [O.S. 16 May] 1910) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor known today primarily for his work promoting musical nationalism and his encouragement of more famous Russian composers, notably Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He began his career as a pivotal figure, extending the fusion of traditional folk music and experimental classical music practices begun by composer Mikhail Glinka. In the process, Balakirev developed musical patterns that could express overt nationalistic feeling. After a nervous breakdown and consequent sabbatical, he returned to classical music but did not wield the same level of influence as before. In conjunction with critic and fellow nationalist Vladimir Stasov, in the late 1850s and early 1860s Balakirev brought together the composers now known as The Five (a.k.a., The Mighty Handful) – the others were Alexander Borodin, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. For several years, Balakirev was the only professional musician of the group; the others were amateurs limited in musical education. He imparted to them his musical beliefs, which continued to underlie their thinking long after he left the group in 1871, and encouraged their compositional efforts. While his methods could be dictatorial, the results of his influence were several works which established these composers' reputations individually and as a group. He performed a similar function for Tchaikovsky at two points in the latter's career – in 1868–69 with the fantasy-overture Romeo and Juliet and in 1882–85 with the Manfred Symphony. As a composer, Balakirev finished major works many years after he had started them; he began his First Symphony in 1864 but completed it in 1897. The exception to this was his oriental fantasy Islamey for solo piano, which he composed quickly and remains popular among virtuosos. Often, the musical ideas normally associated with Rimsky-Korsakov or Borodin originated in Balakirev's compositions, which Balakirev played at informal gatherings of The Five. However, his slow pace in completing works for the public deprived him of credit for his inventiveness, and pieces that would have enjoyed success had they been completed in the 1860s and 1870s made a much smaller impact.
- American composer Alan Menken was responsible for some of the best known film and stage musicals of the late 20th Century. Born in New York City, he originally set out to become a recording artist. In the mid-'70s, he began gravitating towards musical theater, contributing songs to a number of revues and workshops. His early attempts to write a full musical, though, went unproduced. His luck changed when he began a long partnership with playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman. They worked together on a musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" that ran Off-Broadway. Their next collaboration, however, earned them a place in musical theater history. Based on a little seen 1960 film, "Little Shop of Horrors" opened in 1982 and went on to become the highest grossing Off-Broadway production of all time. The play was adapted to film in 1986, and Menken and Ashman's original composition "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space" earned the duo an Oscar nomination. The pair were hired by Disney as the company was attempting to reinvigorate its animated film division. They wrote the music for "The Little Mermaid" (1989), winning Oscars for Best Original Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Score. That kicked off one of the most successful runs in film history. They partnered again on "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), and added another two Academy Awards. As work began on Disney's next animated offering, "Aladdin" (1992), Ashman died from complications related to AIDS. Famed lyricist Tim Rice stepped in and worked with Menken to complete the music for "Aladdin," and again, the film won Oscars for Best Original Song ("A Whole New World") and Best Score. Menken also worked with Jack Feldman on Disney's live-action musical, "Newsies" (1992). While the film was considered a flop, the property went on to find new life as a successful Broadway show. Menken returned to working with Disney animation, working with Stephen Schwartz on "Pocahontas" (1995) and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), as well as with David Zippel for "Hercules" (1997). He also contributed the score to a number of other films, including "Life With Mikey" (1993), "Home On the Range" (2004) and "Tangled" (2010). Menken and Schwartz reunited to provide the music for Disney's hit "Enchanted" (2007). He also worked with the studio to adapt both "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" into Tony-winning Broadway shows. He had additional success adapting the films "Sister Act" and "A Bronx Tale" into Broadway musicals. Menken's Disney partnership continued as well. He worked with the studio on its live-action film adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" (2017), before partnering with the Oscar and Tony-winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on a live-action version of "Aladdin" (2019). He went on to work with Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda on a similar update of "The Little Mermaid" and re-teamed with Schwartz on the "Enchanted" sequel, "Disenchanted."
- 1The Hunchback of Notre Dame49 Votes
- 2Beauty and the Beast42 Votes
- 3Aladdin41 Votes
- Charles-Valentin Alkan (French: [ʃaʁl valɑ̃tɛ̃ alkɑ̃]; 30 November 1813 – 29 March 1888) was a French-Jewish composer and virtuoso pianist. At the height of his fame in the 1830s and 1840s he was, alongside his friends and colleagues Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, among the leading pianists in Paris, a city in which he spent virtually his entire life. Alkan earned many awards at the Conservatoire de Paris, which he entered before he was six. His career in the salons and concert halls of Paris was marked by his occasional long withdrawals from public performance, for personal reasons. Although he had a wide circle of friends and acquaintances in the Parisian artistic world, including Eugène Delacroix and George Sand, from 1848 he began to adopt a reclusive life style, while continuing with his compositions – virtually all of which are for the keyboard. During this period he published, among other works, his collections of large-scale studies in all the major keys (Op. 35) and all the minor keys (Op. 39). The latter includes his Symphony for Solo Piano (Op. 39, nos. 4–7) and Concerto for Solo Piano (Op. 39, nos. 8–10), which are often considered among his masterpieces and are of great musical and technical complexity. Alkan emerged from self-imposed retirement in the 1870s to give a series of recitals that were attended by a new generation of French musicians. Alkan's attachment to his Jewish origins is displayed both in his life and his work. He was the first composer to incorporate Jewish melodies in art music. Fluent in Hebrew and Greek, he devoted much time to a complete new translation of the Bible into French. This work, like many of his musical compositions, is now lost. Alkan never married, but his presumed son Élie-Miriam Delaborde was, like Alkan, a virtuoso performer on both the piano and the pedal piano, and edited a number of the elder composer's works. Following his death (which according to persistent but unfounded legend was caused by a falling bookcase) Alkan's music became neglected, supported by only a few musicians including Ferruccio Busoni, Egon Petri and Kaikhosru Sorabji. From the late 1960s onwards, led by Raymond Lewenthal and Ronald Smith, many pianists have recorded his music and brought it back into the repertoire.
- Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist, and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined and clear dramatic soprano vocals. She has sold more than 14 million records worldwide.
- Benjamin Grosvenor (born 8 July 1992) is a British classical pianist.
- Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (Russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Тане́ев, romanized: Sergéj Ivánovič Tanéjev, pronounced [sʲɪˈrɡej ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ tɐˈnʲejɪf]; November 25 [O.S. November 13] 1856 – June 19 [O.S. June 6] 1915) was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author.
- Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( BOR-gə), was a Danish comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the United States and Europe. His blend of music and comedy earned him the nicknames "The Clown Prince of Denmark," "The Unmelancholy Dane," and "The Great Dane."
- Thomas Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor.
- Sigismond Thalberg (8 January 1812 – 27 April 1871) was a composer and one of the most famous virtuoso pianists of the 19th century.
- Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (September 5, 1867 – December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Her "Gaelic" Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896, was the first symphony composed and published by an American woman. She was one of the first American composers to succeed without the benefit of European training, and one of the most respected and acclaimed American composers of her era. As a pianist, she was acclaimed for concerts she gave featuring her own music in the United States and in Germany.
- Barry Miles is an American pianist, drummer, composer, producer, arranger and author.
- George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a professor of music. He first made a name for himself with the album The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. He was known primarily for thirty-odd solo albums, of which A Brazilian Love Affair from 1979 was his most popular, as well as for his collaborations with other musicians, particularly Frank Zappa.
Sergio Tiempo
Sergio Daniel Tiempo is an Argentine classical pianist. He has studied under some of the best known pianists. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Sergio Tiempo, began playing the piano at an early age. His first teacher was his mother, Lyl Tiempo, who began teaching him before he turned three. He achieved early acclaim by appearing on Argentine television when he was four years old and gave concerts in London and France at age seven. In 1980, eight years old, he received special recognition at the Ealing Music Festival. In 1985 he performed at Doelen Concert Hall in Rotterdam with his sister Karin Lechner who was born several years earlier in Buenos Aires in 1965. They performed music by Mozart, Bizet, Milhaud and Infante. This concert was recorded live and issued on LP and CD. In the following year, 1986, he was awarded the Alex De Vries prize, named after the Belgian pianist of Dutch origin. That same year he gave a solo recital at the Concertgebouw. This live performance was recorded as well and released on LP and CD. His list of teachers has included Tessa Nicholson, Maria Curcio, Pierre Sancan, Michel Béroff, Jacques Detiege, Alan Weiss and Nelson Freire.- Dave Kikoski is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist. Kikoski learned piano from his father and played with him in bars as a teenager. He studied at the Berklee College of Music in the early 1980s, then moved to New York City in 1985, touring and recording subsequently with Roy Haynes, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, and Billy Hart. He has also played or recorded with George Garzone, Barry Finnerty, Red Rodney, Craig Handy, Ralph Moore, Didier Lockwood, Joe Locke, Olivier Ker Ourio and Mingus Big Band. Kikoski won a 2011 Grammy Award with the Mingus Big Band for the Best Live Jazz Ensemble Album, "Live at the Jazz Standard". He also had a Grammy nomination with Roy Haynes for the "Birds of a Feather" CD.