The following is a non-comprehensive list of composers who have composed original music for the classical guitar, or music which has been arranged for it.
Composer | Born | Died | Nationality | Notable works | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jean Absil | 1893 | 1974 | Belgium | Pièces caractéristiques, Op. 123 | |
Samuel Adler | 1928 | United States | |||
Dionisio Aguado | 1784 | 1849 | Spain | ||
Miguel del Aguila | 1957 | ||||
Kalevi Aho | 1949 | Finland | |||
Mateo Albéniz | 1755 | 1831 | Spain | ||
Heinrich Albert | 1870 | 1950 | Germany | ||
Laurindo Almeida | 1917 | 1995 | Brazil | ||
Gabriel Fernández Álvez | 1943 | 2008 | Spain | Liturgia de Cristal | |
André Amellér | 1912 | 1990 | France | ||
Julian Anderson | 1967 | United Kingdom | |||
William Anderson | 1962 | United States | |||
Louis Andriessen | 1939 | 2021 | Netherlands | ||
Maria Luisa Anido | 1907 | 1996 | Argentina | ||
Denis ApIvor | 1916 | 2004 | United Kingdom | ||
Julián Arcas | 1832 | 1882 | Spain | ||
Malcolm Arnold | 1921 | 2006 | United Kingdom | ||
Eduardo Arolas | 1892 | 1924 | Argentina | ||
Boris Asafiev | 1884 | 1949 | Russia | ||
Vicente Asencio | 1908 | 1979 | Spain | Collectici intim, Suite Valencia | |
Daniel Asia | 1953 | United States | |||
Sérgio Assad | 1952 | Brazil | |||
Nicolas Astrinidis | 1921 | 2010 | Greece | Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra | |
Olivier Aubert | 1763 | 1830 | France | ||
Hector Ayala | 1914 | 1990 | Argentina | Serie Americana | |
Milton Babbitt | 1916 | 2011 | United States | ||
Salvador Bacarisse | 1898 | 1963 | |||
Henk Badings | 1907 | 1987 | Netherlands | ||
Simon Bainbridge | 1952 | 2021 | United Kingdom | ||
Leonardo Balada | 1933 | United States | Born in Spain. | ||
Claude Ballif | 1924 | 2004 | France | ||
Carlos Barbosa-Lima | 1944 | 2022 | Brazil | Re-located to the United States in 1981. | |
Vytautas Barkauskas | 1931 | 2020 | Lithuania | ||
Milton Barnes | 1931 | 2001 | Canada | ||
Richard Barrett | 1959 | United Kingdom | |||
Ángel Barrios | 1882 | 1964 | Spain | ||
Agustin Barrios | 1885 | 1944 | Paraguay | ||
Ary Barroso | 1903 | 1964 | Brazil | ||
Bruno Bartolozzi | 1911 | 1980 | Italy | ||
Abramo Basevi | 1818 | 1885 | Italy | ||
Leslie Bassett | 1923 | 2016 | United States | ||
Herbert Baumann | 1925 | 2020 | Germany | ||
Jürg Baur | 1918 | 2010 | Germany | ||
Julian Bautista | 1901 | 1961 | Spain | ||
Eduard Bayer | 1822 | 1908 | Germany | ||
Sally Beamish | 1956 | ||||
Robert Beaser | 1954 | United States | |||
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt | 1925 | 2010 | Chile | ||
David Bedford | 1937 | 2011 | United Kingdom | ||
Franz Behr | 1837 | 1898 | Germany | ||
Siegfried Behrend | 1933 | 1990 | Germany | ||
Paulo Bellinati | 1950 | Brazil | |||
Carl Michael Bellman | 1740 | 1795 | Sweden | ||
Richard Rodney Bennett | 1936 | 2012 | United Kingdom | Five Impromptus | |
Gunnar Berg | 1909 | 1989 | Denmark | ||
Luciano Berio | 1925 | 2003 | Italy | Sequenza XI for guitar | |
Lennox Berkeley | 1903 | 1989 | United Kingdom | ||
Michael Berkeley | 1948 | United Kingdom | |||
Hector Berlioz | 1803 | 1869 | France | ||
Leonard Bernstein | 1918 | 1990 | United States | ||
Bruno Bettinelli | 1913 | 2004 | Italy | ||
Frank Michael Beyer | 1928 | 2008 | Germany | ||
Günter Bialas | 1907 | 1995 | Germany | ||
Antonio Bibalo | 1922 | 2008 | Norway | ||
Gilbert Biberian | 1944 | 2023 | Turkey | Active in England. | |
Ronald Binge | 1910 | 1979 | United Kingdom | ||
Howard Blake | 1938 | United Kingdom | |||
Michael Blake | 1951 | South Africa | |||
Juan Blanco | 1919 | 2008 | Cuba | ||
Manuel Blasco de Nebra | 1750 | 1784 | Spain | ||
Carl Blum | 1786 | 1844 | Germany | ||
Carey Blyton | 1932 | 2002 | United Kingdom | ||
Vladimir Bobri | 1898 | 1986 | United States | Born in Ukraine. | |
Jan Nepomucen Bobrowicz | 1805 | 1881 | Poland | ||
Luigi Boccherini | 1743 | 1805 | Italy | ||
John Boda | 1922 | 2002 | United States | ||
Seóirse Bodley | 1933 | Ireland | |||
Philippe Boesmans | 1936 | 2022 | Belgium | ||
Dusan Bogdanovic | 1955 | Serbia | |||
Rob du Bois | 1934 | 2013 | Netherlands | ||
William Bolcom | 1938 | United States | |||
Claude Bolling | 1930 | 2020 | France | ||
Carlos Bonell | 1949 | United Kingdom | |||
Luiz Bonfá | 1922 | 2001 | Brazil | ||
Carlos Bonilla Chávez | 1923 | 2010 | Ecuador | ||
Carlos Bonnet | 1892 | 1983 | Venezuela | ||
Raúl Borges | 1882 | 1967 | Venezuela | ||
Axel Borup-Jørgensen | 1924 | 2012 | Denmark | ||
Jacques Bosch | 1825 | 1895 | Spain | ||
Jean-Yves Bosseur | 1947 | France | |||
Pierre Boulez | 1925 | 2016 | France | ||
Timothy Bowers | 1954 | United Kingdom | Five Preludes (1986) Guitar Concerto (2019) | ||
Brian Boydell | 1917 | 2000 | Ireland | ||
Eugene Bozza | 1905 | 1991 | France | ||
Philip Bračanin | 1942 | Australia | |||
Charlotte Bray | 1982 | United Kingdom | |||
Reiner Bredemeyer | 1929 | 1995 | Germany | ||
Benjamin Britten | 1913 | 1976 | United Kingdom | Nocturnal after John Dowland | |
José Brocá | 1805 | 1882 | Spain | ||
Leo Brouwer | 1939 | Cuba | |||
Humberto Bruni Lamanna | 1957 | Venezuela | |||
Ole Buck | 1943 | Denmark | |||
John Buckley | 1951 | Ireland | |||
Jarmil Burghauser | 1921 | 1997 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Geoffrey Burgon | 1941 | 2010 | United Kingdom | ||
Willy Burkhard | 1900 | 1955 | Switzerland | ||
Howard J. Buss | 1951 | United States | |||
Sylvano Bussotti | 1931 | 2021 | Italy | ||
Charlie Byrd | 1925 | 1999 | United States | ||
German Cáceres | 1954 | El Salvador | |||
Bartolomé Calatayud | 1882 | 1973 | Spain | ||
Leonhard von Call | 1767 | 1815 | Austria | ||
Charles Camilleri | 1931 | 2009 | Malta | ||
Dmitri Capyrin | 1960 | Russia | |||
Matteo Carcassi | 1792 | 1853 | Italy | ||
Cornelius Cardew | 1936 | 1981 | United Kingdom | ||
Jorge Cardoso | 1949 | Argentina | |||
Carlo Carfagna | 1940 | Italy | |||
Abel Carlevaro | 1918 | 2001 | Uruguay | Preludios Americanos | |
Roberto Carnevale | 1966 | Italy | |||
Inocente Carreño | 1919 | 2016 | Venezuela | ||
Elliott Carter | 1908 | 2012 | United States | ||
Ferdinando Carulli | 1770 | 1841 | Italy | Re-located to France in 1808. | |
Tristram Cary | 1925 | 2008 | |||
Benet Casablancas | 1956 | Spain | |||
Francisco Casanovas | 1899 | 1986 | Spain | ||
Philip Cashian | 1963 | ||||
Gaspar Cassadó | 1897 | 1966 | Spain | ||
Frantz Casseus | 1915 | 1993 | Haiti | ||
Luigi Castellacci | 1797 | 1845 | Italy | ||
Evencio Castellanos | 1915 | 1984 | Venezuela | ||
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco | 1895 | 1968 | Italy | Re-located to the United States in 1939. | |
Jacques Casterede | 1926 | 2014 | France | ||
Ignacio Cervantes | 1847 | 1905 | Cuba | ||
Luciano Chailly | 1920 | 2002 | Italy | ||
Carlos Chávez | 1899 | 1978 | Mexico | ||
Flores Chaviano | 1946 | Cuba | |||
Charles Chaynes | 1925 | 2016 | France | ||
Gian Paolo Chiti | 1939 | Italy | |||
Loris Chobanian | 1933 | 2023 | Iraq | Re-located to the United States in 1960. | |
Domenico Cimarosa | 1749 | 1801 | Italy | ||
Pier Luigi Cimma | 1941 | 2006 | Italy | ||
Charles Clagget | 1740 | 1790 | Ireland | Year of death is approximate | |
Aldo Clementi | 1925 | 2011 | Italy | ||
Joaquín Clerch | 1965 | Cuba | |||
Graziella Concas | 1970 | ||||
Marius Constant | 1925 | 2004 | |||
Sidney Corbett | 1960 | ||||
Ernesto Cordero | 1946 | Puerto Rico | |||
Roque Cordero | 1917 | 2008 | Panama | ||
John Corigliano | 1938 | ||||
Dan Cosley | 1979 | United States | |||
Napoléon Coste | 1805 | 1883 | France | ||
Terence Croucher | 1944 | United Kingdom | |||
George Crumb | 1929 | 2022 | |||
Salim Dada | 1975 | Algeria | |||
Georges Dandelot | 1895 | 1975 | France | ||
Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur | 1908 | 2002 | France | ||
Adam Darr | 1811 | 1866 | Germany | ||
Johann Nepomuk David | 1895 | 1977 | Austria | ||
Thomas Christian David | 1925 | 2006 | Austria | ||
Mario Davidovsky | 1934 | 2019 | Argentina, United States | ||
Peter Maxwell Davies | 1934 | 2016 | United Kingdom | ||
Jerome de Bromhead | 1945 | Ireland | |||
Ernesto De Curtis | 1860 | 1926 | Italy | ||
Paco de Lucia | 1947 | 2014 | Spain | ||
Jean Michel Defaye | 1932 | France | |||
Søffren Degen | 1816 | 1885 | Denmark | ||
David Del Tredici | 1937 | United States | |||
Georges Delerue | 1925 | 1992 | France | ||
Mark Delpriora | 1959 | United States | |||
Santiago de Murcia | 1673 | 1739 | Spain | ||
Michael Denhoff | 1955 | Germany | |||
Luigi Denza | 1846 | 1922 | Italy | ||
Ettore Desderi | 1892 | 1974 | Italy | ||
Yvonne Desportes | 1903 | 1993 | France | ||
Paul Dessau | 1894 | 1979 | Germany | ||
Eduardo di Capua | 1864 | 1917 | Italy | ||
Anton Diabelli | 1781 | 1858 | Austria | ||
David Diamond | 1915 | 2005 | United States | ||
James Dillon | 1950 | United Kingdom | |||
Violeta Dinescu | 1953 | ||||
Stephen Dodgson | 1924 | 2013 | United Kingdom | ||
Friedhelm Döhl | 1936 | 2018 | Germany | ||
Uroš Dojčinović | 1959 | Serbia | |||
Carlo Domeniconi | 1947 | Italy | |||
Franco Donatoni | 1927 | 2000 | Italy | ||
Andrew Downes | 1950 | 2023 | United Kingdom | ||
František Drdla | 1868 | 1944 | Bohemia | ||
Riccardo Drigo | 1846 | 1930 | Italy | ||
John W. Duarte | 1919 | 2004 | United Kingdom | ||
Johann Dubez | 1828 | 1891 | Austria | ||
Pierre Max Dubois | 1930 | 1995 | France | ||
Zsolt Durkó | 1934 | 1997 | Hungary | ||
Frantisek Xaver Dusek | 1731 | 1799 | Bohemia | ||
Antonín Dvořák | 1841 | 1904 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Benjamin Dwyer | 1965 | Ireland | |||
Roland Dyens | 1955 | 2016 | |||
Tom Eastwood | 1922 | 1999 | United Kingdom | ||
Petr Eben | 1929 | 2007 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Ross Edwards | 1943 | Australia | |||
René Eespere | 1953 | ||||
Gottfried von Einem | 1918 | 1996 | Austria | ||
Richard Emsley | 1951 | ||||
Manuel Enriquez | 1926 | 1994 | |||
József Eötvös | 1962 | Hungary | |||
Heimo Erbse | 1924 | 2005 | Germany | ||
Susanne Erding-Swiridoff | 1955 | Germany | |||
Óscar Esplá | 1889 | 1976 | Spain | ||
Sveinn Eythorsson | 1964 | Iceland | |||
Kenjiro Ezaki | 1926 | Japan | |||
Sebastian Fagerlund | 1972 | Finland | |||
Markus Fagerudd | 1961 | Finland | |||
Manuel de Falla | 1876 | 1946 | Spain | Pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy | Re-located to Argentina in 1939. |
Eduardo Falú | 1923 | 2013 | Argentina | ||
Juan Falú | 1948 | Argentina | |||
Dimitris Fampas | 1921 | 1996 | Greece | ||
Carlos Farinas | 1934 | 2002 | Cuba | ||
Ferenc Farkas | 1905 | 2000 | Hungary | ||
David Farquhar | 1928 | 2007 | New Zealand | ||
Ciarán Farrell | 1969 | Ireland | |||
Jindřich Feld | 1925 | 2007 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Jim Ferguson | 1948 | United States | |||
Heraclio Fernández | 1851 | 1886 | Venezuela | ||
Oscar Lorenzo Fernández | 1897 | 1948 | Brazil | ||
Gabriel Fernández Álvez | 1943 | 2008 | Spain | ||
Brian Ferneyhough | 1943 | United Kingdom | |||
José Ferrer | 1835 | 1916 | Spain | ||
Paul Fetler | 1920 | 2018 | United States | ||
Michael Finnissy | 1946 | United Kingdom | |||
Graciane Finzi | 1945 | ||||
Graham Fitkin | 1963 | United Kingdom | |||
David Flynn | 1977 | Ireland | |||
William Foden | 1860 | 1947 | United States | ||
Daniel Fortea | 1878 | 1953 | Spain | ||
Lukas Foss | 1922 | 2009 | |||
François de Fossa | 1775 | 1849 | France | ||
Yorgos Foudoulis | 1964 | Greece | |||
Jean Françaix | 1912 | 1997 | France | ||
Peter Racine Fricker | 1920 | 1990 | United Kingdom | Re-located to the United States in the 1960s | |
Gunnar de Frumerie | 1908 | 1987 | Sweden | ||
James Fulkerson | 1945 | United States | |||
Blas Galindo | 1910 | 1993 | Mexico | ||
Boris Gaquere | 1977 | Belgium | |||
Gerald García | 1949 | United Kingdom | Born in Hong Kong. | ||
Héctor García (guitarist) | 1930 | 2022 | USA | Born in Cuba. | |
Anton García Abril | 1933 | 2021 | Spain | ||
Rosa García Ascot | 1906 | 2002 | Spain | ||
Celso Garrido Lecca | 1926 | Peru | |||
Odette Gartenlaub | 1922 | 2014 | France | ||
Éric Gaudibert | 1936 | 2012 | Switzerland | ||
Hans Gefors | 1952 | Sweden | |||
Harald Genzmer | 1909 | 2007 | Germany | ||
Roberto Gerhard | 1896 | 1970 | Spain | Re-located to England in 1939. | |
Giorgio Federico Ghedini | 1892 | 1965 | Italy | ||
Gilardo Gilardi | 1889 | 1963 | Argentina | ||
Angelo Gilardino | 1941 | 2022 | Italy | ||
Alberto Ginastera | 1916 | 1983 | |||
Egberto Gismonti | 1947 | Brazil | |||
Mauro Giuliani | 1781 | 1829 | Italy | ||
Barbara Giuranna | 1898 | 1998 | Italy | ||
Detlev Glanert | 1960 | Germany | |||
Stanley Glasser | 1926 | 2018 | South Africa | ||
Anthony Glise | 1956 | ||||
Radames Gnattali | 1906 | 1988 | Brazil | ||
Vincente Gomez | 1911 | 2001 | Spain | ||
Chiquinha Gonzaga | 1847 | 1935 | Brazil | ||
Nikos Gounaris | 1915 | 1965 | Greece | ||
Filippo Gragnani | 1768 | 1820 | Italy | ||
Harold Gramatges | 1918 | 2008 | Cuba | ||
Agustí Grau | 1893 | 1964 | Spain | ||
Deirdre Gribbin | 1967 | Ireland | |||
Cor de Groot | 1914 | 1993 | Netherlands | ||
Camargo Guarnieri | 1907 | 1993 | Brazil | ||
Carlos Guastavino | 1912 | 2000 | Argentina | ||
Gerardo Guevara | 1930 | Ecuador | |||
Róbert Gulya | 1973 | Hungary | |||
Gustav Gunsenheimer | 1934 | Germany | |||
Alexander Gurilev | 1803 | 1858 | Russia | ||
Guyún | 1908 | 1987 | Cuba | Actual name is Vincente Gonzalez Rubiera. | |
Sampo Haapamäki | 1979 | Finland | |||
Alois Hába | 1893 | 1973 | |||
Manos Hadjidakis | 1925 | 1996 | Greece | ||
Georg Hajdu | 1960 | Germany | |||
Kimmo Hakola | 1958 | Finland | |||
Cristóbal Halffter | 1930 | 2021 | Spain | ||
Ernesto Halffter | 1905 | 1989 | Spain | ||
Rodolfo Halffter | 1900 | 1987 | Spain | ||
Haflidi Hallgrimsson | 1941 | Iceland | |||
Hilding Hallnäs | 1903 | 1984 | Sweden | ||
Eero Hämeenniemi | 1951 | Finland | |||
Peter Michael Hamel | 1947 | Germany | |||
Albert Harris | 1916 | 2005 | United States | ||
Lou Harrison | 1917 | 2003 | United States | ||
Heinz Friedrich Hartig | 1907 | 1969 | Germany | ||
Jonathan Harvey | 1939 | 2012 | United Kingdom | ||
Roman Haubenstock-Ramati | 1919 | 1994 | Poland | ||
Halvor Haug | 1952 | Norway | |||
Hans Haug | 1900 | 1967 | Switzerland | ||
Brian Head | 1964 | United States | |||
Anton Heiller | 1923 | 1979 | Austria | ||
Paavo Heininen | 1938 | 2022 | Finland | ||
Mikko Heiniö | 1948 | Finland | |||
Walter Hekster | 1937 | 2012 | Netherlands | ||
Hans Werner Henze | 1926 | 2012 | Germany | Royal Winter Music | |
Ernst Hess | 1912 | 1968 | Switzerland | ||
Jacques Hétu | 1938 | 2010 | Canada | ||
Paul Hindemith | 1895 | 1963 | Germany | ||
Takekuni Hirayoshi | 1936 | 1998 | Japan | ||
Evan Hirschelman | 1976 | United States | |||
Alun Hoddinott | 1929 | 2008 | United Kingdom | ||
Justin Holland | 1819 | 1887 | United States | ||
Vagn Holmboe | 1909 | 1996 | Denmark | ||
Joaquim Homs | 1906 | 2003 | Spain | ||
Felix Horetzky | 1796 | 1870 | Poland | ||
Joseph Horovitz | 1926 | 2022 | |||
Alan Hovhaness | 1911 | 2000 | United States | ||
Klaus Huber | 1924 | 2017 | Switzerland | ||
Josiah Andrew Hudleston | 1799 | 1865 | United Kingdom | Mostly composed while living in India. | |
Georges Hugon | 1904 | 1980 | France | ||
Bertold Hummel | 1925 | 2002 | Germany | ||
Jacques Ibert | 1890 | 1962 | France | ||
Akira Ifukube | 1914 | 2006 | Japan | ||
Adina Izarra | 1959 | Venezuela | |||
David A. Jaffe | 1955 | ||||
Stephen Jaffe | 1954 | ||||
Hanns Jelinek | 1901 | 1969 | Austria | ||
Jiří Jirmal | 1925 | 2019 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Otto Joachim | 1910 | 2010 | |||
Antonio Carlos Jobim | 1927 | 1994 | Brazil | ||
Bryan Johanson | 1951 | United States | |||
André Jolivet | 1905 | 1974 | France | ||
Antonio José Martínez Palacios | 1902 | 1936 | |||
Wilfred Josephs | 1927 | 1997 | |||
Dimitri Kabalevsky | 1904 | 1987 | Russia | ||
Pál Kadosa | 1903 | 1983 | Hungary | ||
Mauricio Kagel | 1931 | 2008 | Argentina | ||
Jouni Kaipainen | 1956 | 2015 | Finland | ||
Viktor Kalabis | 1923 | 2006 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Shigeru Kan-no | 1959 | Japan | |||
Ahti Karjalainen | 1907 | 1986 | Finland | ||
Elena Kats-Chernin | 1957 | ||||
Bryan Kelly | 1934 | United Kingdom | |||
Rudolf Kelterborn | 1931 | 2021 | Switzerland | ||
Aaron Jay Kernis | 1960 | United States | |||
Harrison Kerr | 1897 | 1978 | United States | ||
Aram Khachaturian | 1903 | 1978 | Russia | ||
Peter Klatzow | 1945 | 2021 | South Africa | ||
Giselher Klebe | 1925 | 2009 | Germany | ||
Anđelko Klobučar | 1931 | 2016 | |||
Erland von Koch | 1910 | 2009 | Sweden | ||
Gareth Koch | 1962 | Australia | |||
Miklos Kocsar | 1933 | 2019 | Hungary | ||
Oliver Kohlenberg | 1957 | Finland | |||
Karl Kohn | 1926 | United States | Born in Austria. | ||
Barbara Kolb | 1939 | United States | |||
Heinrich Konietzny | 1910 | 1983 | Germany | ||
Olli Kortekangas | 1955 | Finland | |||
Nikita Koshkin | 1956 | ||||
Leon Koudelak | 1961 | Czechoslovakia | |||
Leopold Kozeluh | 1747 | 1818 | Bohemia | ||
Joseph-François Kremer | 1954 | ||||
Ernst Krenek | 1900 | 1991 | Austria | Re-located to the United States in 1938. | |
Joseph Kreutzer | 1790 | 1840 | Germany | ||
Annette Kruisbrink | 1958 | Netherlands | |||
Andrei Krylov | 1959 | ||||
Augustin Kubizek | 1918 | 2009 | Austria | ||
Joseph Küffner | 1776 | 1856 | Germany | ||
Felicitas Kukuck | 1914 | 2001 | Germany | ||
György Kurtág | 1926 | ||||
Helmut Lachenmann | 1935 | Germany | |||
Alexandre Lagoya | 1929 | 1999 | |||
Gordon Langford | 1930 | 2017 | United Kingdom | ||
Paul Lansky | 1944 | Crooked Courante (1997); Semi-Suite (1998); Practical Preludes (2007–08) | |||
Libby Larsen | 1950 | United States | |||
Anne Lauber | 1943 | ||||
Antonio Lauro | 1917 | 1986 | Venezuela | ||
Mario Lavista | 1943 | 2021 | |||
Alan Lawrence | 1949 | United Kingdom | |||
Ernesto Lecuona | 1896 | 1963 | Cuba | ||
Ton de Leeuw | 1926 | 1996 | Netherlands | ||
Victor Legley | 1915 | 1994 | Belgium | ||
Luigi Legnani | 1790 | 1877 | Italy | ||
David Leisner | 1953 | United States | |||
Edith Lejet | 1941 | France | |||
John Anthony Lennon | 1950 | United States | |||
James Lentini | 1958 | United States | |||
Tania León | 1943 | Cuba | |||
Peter Scott Lewis | 1953 | United States | |||
Antoine de Lhoyer | 1768 | 1852 | France | ||
Lowell Liebermann | 1961 | ||||
Douglas Lilburn | 1915 | 2001 | New Zealand | ||
Magnus Lindberg | 1958 | Finland | |||
Jukka Linkola | 1955 | Finland | |||
Miguel Llobet | 1878 | 1938 | Spain | Arranger of many Catalan folksongs. | |
Guillermo Venegas Lloveras | 1915 | 1993 | Puerto Rico | ||
Andrew Lloyd Webber | 1948 | United Kingdom | |||
Manos Loïzos | 1937 | 1982 | Greece | ||
Luca Lombardi | 1945 | Italy | |||
Dang Ngoc Long | 1957 | ||||
Fernando Lopes-Graca | 1906 | 1994 | Portugal | ||
Bent Lorentzen | 1935 | 2018 | Denmark | ||
Paco de Lucia | 1947 | 2014 | Spain | ||
Otto Luening | 1900 | 1996 | United States | ||
Vilho Luolajan-Mikkola | 1911 | 2005 | Finland | ||
Witold Lutosławski | 1913 | 1994 | Poland | ||
Elisabeth Lutyens | 1906 | 1983 | United Kingdom | ||
Diego Luzuriaga | 1955 | Ecuador | |||
Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov | 1855 | 1914 | Russia | ||
Bruce MacCombie | 1943 | 2012 | United States | ||
Celso Machado | 1953 | Brazil | |||
Peter Machajdík | 1961 | Slovakia | |||
Steven Mackey | 1956 | ||||
Bruno Maderna | 1920 | 1973 | Germany | ||
Jef Maes | 1905 | 1996 | Belgium | ||
Victor Magnien | 1802 | 1885 | France | ||
Ivor Mairants | 1908 | 1988 | United Kingdom | Born in Poland and moved to England at a young age | |
Gui Mallon | 1953 | ||||
Gian Francesco Malipiero | 1882 | 1973 | Italy | ||
Riccardo Malipiero | 1914 | 2003 | Italy | ||
Ursula Mamlok | 1928 | 2016 | United States | Born in Germany. | |
Henry Mancini | 1924 | 1994 | |||
Joan Manén | 1883 | 1971 | Spain | ||
Daan Manneke | 1939 | Netherlands | |||
Tomás Marco | 1942 | Spain | |||
Tera de Marez Oyens | 1932 | 1996 | Netherlands | ||
Franco Margola | 1908 | 1992 | Italy | ||
Heinrich Marschner | 1795 | 1861 | Germany | ||
Ingram Marshall | 1942 | 2022 | United States | ||
Frank Martin | 1890 | 1974 | Switzerland | Re-located to the Netherlands in 1946. | |
Giovanni Battista Martini | 1706 | 1784 | Italy | ||
Jean Paul Egide Martini | 1741 | 1816 | Germany | ||
Tauno Marttinen | 1912 | 2008 | Finland | ||
Wenzel Thomas Matiegka | 1773 | 1830 | Bohemia | ||
Colin Matthews | 1946 | ||||
Nicholas Maw | 1935 | 2009 | United Kingdom | ||
John McCabe | 1939 | 2015 | United Kingdom | ||
Edward McGuire | 1948 | United Kingdom | |||
Gordon McPherson | 1965 | United Kingdom | |||
Chiel Meijering | 1954 | Netherlands | |||
Jean-Racine Meissonnier | 1794 | 1856 | France | ||
Wilfrid Mellers | 1914 | 2008 | United Kingdom | ||
Usko Meriläinen | 1930 | 2004 | Finland | ||
Caspar Joseph Mertz | 1806 | 1856 | Hungary | ||
Josep Mestres Quadreny | 1929 | 2021 | Spain | ||
John Metcalfe | 1964 | ||||
Francisco Mignone | 1897 | 1986 | Brazil | ||
Georges Migot | 1891 | 1976 | France | ||
Darius Milhaud | 1892 | 1974 | France | ||
Ronaldo Miranda | 1948 | Brazil | |||
Behzad Mirkhani | 1969 | ||||
Akira Miyoshi | 1933 | 2013 | Japan | ||
Luis Manuel Molina | 1959 | Cuba | |||
Francesco Molino | 1768 | 1847 | Italy | ||
Simon Molitor | 1766 | 1848 | |||
Federico Mompou | 1893 | 1987 | Spain | ||
François Morel | 1926 | 2018 | Canada | ||
Jorge Morel | 1931 | 2021 | Argentina | ||
Federico Moreno Torroba | 1891 | 1982 | Spain | ||
Ennio Morricone | 1928 | 2020 | Italy | ||
Robert Morris | 1943 | ||||
Virgilio Mortari | 1902 | 1993 | Italy | ||
Luigi Mosca | 1775 | 1824 | Italy | ||
Carlos Moscardini | 1958 | Argentina | |||
Ricardo Moyano | 1961 | Argentina | |||
José Muñoz Molleda | 1905 | 1988 | Spain | ||
Tristan Murail | 1947 | France | |||
Santiago de Murcia | 1673 | 1739 | Spain | ||
Thea Musgrave | 1928 | United Kingdom | Re-located to the United States in 1972. | ||
Olli Mustonen | 1967 | Finland | |||
Wolfgang Muthspiel | 1965 | Austria | |||
Stanley Myers | 1930 | 1993 | United Kingdom | ||
Jiro Nakano | 1902 | 2000 | Japan | ||
Lior Navok | 1971 | Israel | |||
Ernesto Nazareth | 1863 | 1934 | Brazil | ||
Remilson Nery | 1961 | Brazil | |||
Wilhelm Neuland | 1806 | 1889 | Germany | ||
Ulrik Neumann | 1918 | 1994 | Sweden | ||
Dimitri Nicolau | 1946 | 2008 | Italy | Born in Greece. | |
Michael Nicolella | 1963 | ||||
Tage Nielsen | 1929 | 2003 | Denmark | ||
Alfred Nieman | 1913 | 1997 | United Kingdom | ||
Kai Nieminen | 1953 | Finland | |||
Joaquin Nin-Culmell | 1908 | 2004 | Spain | ||
Marlos Nobre | 1939 | Brazil | |||
Paulinho Nogueira | 1929 | 2003 | Brazil | ||
Pehr Henrik Nordgren | 1944 | 2008 | Finland | ||
Per Nørgård | 1932 | Denmark | |||
Ib Nørholm | 1931 | 2019 | Denmark | ||
Bayan Northcott | 1940 | 2022 | United Kingdom | ||
Christopher Norton | 1953 | New Zealand | |||
Jan Novák | 1921 | 1984 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Johann Abraham Nüske | 1796 | 1865 | Germany | ||
Jana Obrovska | 1930 | 1987 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Helmut Oehring | 1961 | Germany | |||
Maurice Ohana | 1914 | 1992 | |||
Jane O'Leary | 1946 | Ireland | |||
Stephen Oliver | 1950 | 1992 | United Kingdom | ||
Poul Rovsing Olsen | 1922 | 1982 | Denmark | ||
Marco Oppedisano | 1971 | United States | |||
Julián Orbón | 1925 | 1991 | United States | Born in Spain and worked in Cuba till 1964. | |
Juan Orrego-Salas | 1919 | 2019 | Chile | ||
Ivan Padovec | 1800 | 1873 | Croatia | ||
Niccolò Paganini | 1782 | 1840 | Italy | ||
Manuel Palau Boix | 1893 | 1967 | Spain | ||
Boris Papandopulo | 1906 | 1991 | Croatia | ||
Sophocles Papas | 1893 | 1986 | Greece | Re-located to the United States in 1914. | |
Åke Parmerud | 1953 | ||||
Apostolos Paraskevas | 1964 | Greece | |||
Stephen Paulus | 1949 | 2014 | United States | ||
Carlos Pedrell | 1878 | 1941 | Uruguay | ||
Felipe Pedrell | 1841 | 1922 | Spain | ||
Ferdinand Pelzer | 1801 | 1860 | Germany | Re-located to England in 1829. | |
Andreas Paolo Perger | 1970 | ||||
Nick Peros | 1963 | ||||
Vincent Persichetti | 1915 | 1987 | United States | ||
Jean-Louis Petit | 1937 | France | |||
Pierre Petit | 1922 | 2000 | France | ||
Goffredo Petrassi | 1904 | 2003 | Italy | ||
Pietro Pettoletti | 1795 | 1870 | Italy | Years of birth and death are approximate. | |
Ástor Piazzolla | 1921 | 1992 | Argentina | ||
Richard Pick | 1915 | 2001 | |||
C. A. Pinto Fonseca | 1933 | 2006 | Brazil | ||
Lina Pires de Campos | 1918 | 2003 | Brazil | ||
Thomas Pitfield | 1903 | 1999 | United Kingdom | ||
Pixinguinha | 1898 | 1973 | Brazil | ||
Kenneth Platts | 1946 | 1989 | United Kingdom | ||
Fotis Polymeris | 1920 | 2013 | Greece | ||
Manuel Ponce | 1882 | 1948 | Mexico | ||
Ennio Porrino | 1910 | 1959 | Italy | ||
Pierre Jean Porro | 1750 | 1831 | France | ||
Francis Poulenc | 1899 | 1963 | France | ||
Baden Powell | 1937 | 2000 | Brazil | ||
Mel Powell | 1923 | 1998 | |||
José Antônio de Almeida Prado | 1943 | 2010 | Brazil | ||
Catharina Pratten | 1821 | 1895 | Germany | ||
Stanko Prek | 1915 | 1999 | Slovenia | ||
Ida Presti | 1924 | 1967 | France | ||
André Previn | 1929 | 2019 | United States | Born in Germany. | |
Claudio Prieto | 1934 | 2015 | Spain | ||
Teresa Procaccini | 1934 | Italy | |||
Emilio Pujol | 1886 | 1980 | Spain | ||
Maximo Diego Pujol | 1957 | Argentina | |||
John Purser | 1942 | United Kingdom | |||
Eduard Pütz | 1911 | 2000 | Germany | ||
Veli-Matti Puumala | 1965 | Finland | |||
Relly Raffman | 1921 | 1988 | United States | ||
Osmo Tapio Räihälä | 1964 | Finland | |||
Tomi Räisänen | 1976 | Finland | |||
Štěpán Rak | 1945 | Czechoslovakia | |||
Ariel Ramírez | 1921 | 2010 | Argentina | ||
Luis Felipe Ramón y Rivera | 1913 | 1993 | Venezuela | ||
Primoz Ramovs | 1921 | 1999 | Slovenia | ||
Einojuhani Rautavaara | 1928 | 2016 | Finland | ||
Alan Rawsthorne | 1905 | 1971 | United Kingdom | ||
Irma Ravinale | 1937 | 2013 | Italy | ||
Jean-Marie Raymond | 1949 | France | |||
Gardner Read | 1913 | 2005 | United States | ||
Ferdinand Rebay | 1880 | 1953 | Austria | ||
Max Reger | 1873 | 1916 | Germany | ||
Giulio Regondi | 1822 | 1872 | Switzerland | Mostly active in the United Kingdom. | |
Steve Reich | 1936 | United States | |||
Dilermando Reis | 1916 | 1977 | Brazil | ||
Ottorino Respighi | 1879 | 1936 | |||
Hermann Reutter | 1900 | 1985 | Germany | ||
Roger Reynolds | 1934 | ||||
Alan Ridout | 1934 | 1996 | |||
Rodrigo Riera | 1923 | 1999 | Venezuela | ||
Terry Riley | 1935 | United States | |||
Anthony Ritchie | 1960 | New Zealand | |||
John Ritchie | 1921 | 2014 | New Zealand | ||
Carlos Rafael Rivera | 1970 | United States | |||
Jean Rivier | 1896 | 1987 | France | ||
George Rochberg | 1918 | 2005 | |||
Arturo Rodas | 1954 | Ecuador | |||
Joaquín Rodrigo | 1901 | 1999 | Spain | ||
Betty Roe | 1930 | United Kingdom | |||
Amadeo Roldán | 1900 | 1939 | Cuba | ||
Alessandro Rolla | 1757 | 1841 | Italy | ||
Celedonio Romero | 1913 | 1996 | Cuba | Re-located to the United States in 1957. | |
Ludovico Roncalli | 1654 | 1713 | Italy | ||
Ned Rorem | 1923 | 2022 | United States | ||
Christopher Rouse | 1949 | 2019 | United States | ||
Albert Roussel | 1869 | 1937 | France | ||
Alec Rowley | 1892 | 1958 | United Kingdom | ||
Miklós Rózsa | 1907 | 1995 | Hungary | Active in several countries. | |
Marcel Rubin | 1905 | 1995 | Austria | ||
Poul Ruders | 1949 | Denmark | |||
Antonio Ruiz-Pipò | 1934 | 1998 | France | ||
Henrik Rung | 1807 | 1871 | Denmark | ||
John Rutter | 1945 | ||||
Jarmo Saari | 1970 | Finland | |||
Kaija Saariaho | 1952 | 2023 | Finland | ||
Sabicas | 1912 | 1990 | Spain | Also active in Mexico and the United States. | |
Arturo Sacchetti | 1941 | Italy | |||
Julio Salvador Sagreras | 1879 | 1942 | Argentina | ||
Eduardo Sainz de la Maza | 1903 | 1982 | Spain | ||
Regino Sainz de la Maza | 1896 | 1981 | Spain | ||
Adolfo Salazar | 1890 | 1958 | Spain | ||
Luis H. Salgado | 1903 | 1977 | Ecuador | ||
Aulis Sallinen | 1935 | Finland | |||
Erkki Salmenhaara | 1941 | 2002 | Finland | ||
Esa-Pekka Salonen | 1958 | Finland | |||
Matilde Salvador | 1918 | 2007 | Spain | ||
Gustave Samazeuilh | 1877 | 1967 | France | ||
Luis Sandi | 1905 | 1996 | Mexico | ||
Sven-David Sandström | 1942 | 2019 | Sweden | ||
Cláudio Santoro | 1919 | 1989 | Brazil | ||
Guido Santórsola | 1904 | 1994 | Brazil | ||
Turibio Santos | 1940 | Brazil | |||
Heikki Sarmanto | 1939 | Finland | |||
Henri Sauguet | 1901 | 1989 | France | ||
Manuel Saumell | 1810 | 1870 | Cuba | ||
Robert Saxton | 1953 | United Kingdom | |||
Giacinto Scelsi | 1905 | 1988 | Italy | ||
R. Murray Schafer | 1933 | 2021 | Canada | ||
Gerhard Schedl | 1957 | 2000 | Austria | ||
Armin Schibler | 1921 | 1986 | Switzerland | ||
Peter Schickele | 1935 | ||||
Thomas Daniel Schlee | 1957 | Austria | |||
Annette Schlünz | 1964 | Germany | |||
Arnold Schoenberg | 1874 | 1951 | Austria | Re-located to the United States in 1934. | |
Franz Schubert | 1797 | 1828 | |||
Gunther Schuller | 1925 | 2015 | |||
Joseph Schwantner | 1943 | United States | |||
Kurt Schwertsik | 1935 | ||||
Ludvig Schytte | 1848 | 1909 | Denmark | Re-located to Germany in 1884 and to Austria in 1886. | |
Cyril Scott | 1879 | 1970 | United Kingdom | ||
Peter Sculthorpe | 1929 | 2014 | Australia | ||
Humphrey Searle | 1915 | 1982 | United Kingdom | ||
Leif Segerstam | 1944 | Finland | |||
Andrés Segovia | 1893 | 1987 | Spain | ||
Matyas Seiber | 1905 | 1960 | Hungary | Re-located to England in 1935. | |
Ernest Shand | 1868 | 1924 | United Kingdom | ||
Alexander Shchetynsky | 1960 | Ukraine | |||
Jean Sibelius | 1865 | 1957 | Finland | ||
Roberto Sierra | 1953 | Puerto Rico | |||
Larry Sitsky | 1934 | Australia | |||
Fredrik Sixten | 1962 | ||||
Howard Skempton | 1947 | United Kingdom | |||
Reginald Smith Brindle | 1917 | 2003 | United Kingdom | ||
Vicente Emilio Sojo | 1887 | 1974 | Venezuela | ||
Charles Michael Alexis Sola | 1786 | 1857 | |||
Padre Antonio Soler | 1729 | 1783 | Spain | ||
Harry Somers | 1925 | 1999 | Canada | ||
Fernando Sor | 1778 | 1839 | Spain | Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart | |
Bent Sørensen | 1958 | ||||
Michalis Souyioul | 1906 | 1958 | Greece | ||
Frank Lee Sprague | 1958 | 2018 | United States | ||
Pieter van der Staak | 1930 | 2007 | Netherlands | ||
Hans Stadlmair | 1929 | 2019 | Austria | ||
Robert Starer | 1924 | 2001 | United States | Born in Austria | |
Michael Starobin | 1956 | ||||
Walter Steffens | 1934 | Germany | |||
Pavel Steidl | 1961 | Czechoslovakia | |||
Roger Steptoe | 1953 | United Kingdom | |||
Bernard Stevens | 1916 | 1983 | United Kingdom | ||
Ronald Stevenson | 1928 | 2015 | |||
Richard Stoker | 1938 | 2021 | United Kingdom | ||
Ignace Strasfogel | 1909 | 1994 | Poland | ||
Johann Strauss Sr. | 1804 | 1849 | Austria | ||
Johann Strauss II | 1825 | 1899 | Austria | ||
Soulima Stravinsky | 1910 | 1994 | Switzerland | Re-located to the United States in 1948. | |
Aurel Stroe | 1932 | 2008 | |||
Rezső Sugar | 1919 | 1988 | Hungary | ||
Carlos Surinach | 1915 | 1997 | Spain | Re-located to the United States in 1959. | |
Giles Swayne | 1946 | United Kingdom | |||
Ricardo Tacuchian | 1939 | Brazil | |||
Germaine Tailleferre | 1892 | 1983 | |||
Jenő Takács | 1902 | 2005 | Austria | ||
Yuji Takahashi | 1938 | Japan | |||
Toru Takemitsu | 1930 | 1996 | Japan | ||
Joby Talbot | 1971 | ||||
Tan Dun | 1957 | China | |||
Hilary Tann | 1947 | 2023 | |||
Alexandre Tansman | 1897 | 1986 | |||
Sebastião Tapajós | 1943 | 2021 | Brazil | ||
Francisco Tárrega | 1852 | 1909 | Spain | Gran Vals, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Capricho arabe | |
John Tavener | 1944 | 2013 | United Kingdom | ||
Matthew Taylor | 1964 | United Kingdom | |||
Mikis Theodorakis | 1925 | 2021 | Greece | ||
Augusta Read Thomas | 1964 | ||||
Virgil Thomson | 1896 | 1989 | United States | ||
Eythor Thorlaksson | 1930 | 2018 | Iceland | ||
Jukka Tiensuu | 1948 | Finland | |||
Michael Tippett | 1905 | 1998 | United Kingdom | ||
Camillo Togni | 1922 | 1993 | Italy | ||
Henri Tomasi | 1901 | 1971 | France | ||
Colin Tommis | 1958 | United Kingdom | |||
Enrico Toselli | 1883 | 1926 | Italy | ||
Vladimir Tošić | 1949 | Serbia | |||
Francesco Paolo Tosti | 1846 | 1916 | Italy | ||
Joan Tower | 1938 | United States | |||
Ralph Towner | 1940 | United States | |||
Manfred Trojahn | 1949 | Germany | |||
Eldad Tsabary | 1969 | Israel | |||
Antonin Tucapsky | 1928 | 2014 | Czechoslovakia | Re-located to England in 1975 | |
Joaquin Turina | 1882 | 1949 | Spain | ||
José Luis Turina | 1952 | Spain | |||
Alfred Uhl | 1909 | 1992 | Austria | ||
Erich Urbanner | 1936 | Austria | |||
Horacio Vaggione | 1943 | Argentina | |||
Alexander Varlamov | 1801 | 1848 | Russia | ||
Pēteris Vasks | 1946 | Latvia | |||
Andersen Viana | 1962 | Brazil | |||
Lois V. Vierk | 1951 | ||||
Heitor Villa-Lobos | 1887 | 1959 | Brazil | Chôros No. 1 ; Twelve Études; Five Preludes | |
Giulio Viozzi | 1912 | 1984 | Italy | ||
Param Vir | 1952 | ||||
Olli Virtaperko | 1973 | Finland | |||
Claude Vivier | 1948 | 1983 | Canada | ||
Roman Vlad | 1919 | 2013 | Italy | Born in modern-day Ukraine. | |
Roger Craig Vogel | 1947 | United States | |||
Wladimir Vogel | 1896 | 1984 | |||
Kevin Volans | 1949 | ||||
Melinda Wagner | 1957 | ||||
Rudolf Wagner-Régeny | 1903 | 1969 | Germany | Born in Hungary (in modern-day Romania). | |
Luise Walker | 1910 | 1998 | Austria | ||
Errollyn Wallen | 1958 | ||||
Gareth Walters | 1928 | 2012 | United Kingdom | ||
William Walton | 1902 | 1983 | United Kingdom | ||
Johann Baptist Wanhal | 1739 | 1813 | Czechoslovakia | ||
Carl Maria von Weber | 1786 | 1826 | Germany | ||
Anton Webern | 1883 | 1945 | Austria | ||
John Weinzweig | 1913 | 2006 | Canada | ||
Flemming Weis | 1898 | 1981 | |||
Ferdinand Weiss | 1932 | 2002 | Austria | ||
Harald Weiss | 1949 | Germany | |||
Egon Wellesz | 1885 | 1974 | Austria | Re-located to England in the late 1930s. | |
Eberhard Werdin | 1911 | 1991 | Germany | ||
Richard Wernick | 1934 | ||||
Harri Kristian Wessman | 1949 | Finland | |||
Graham Whettam | 1927 | 2007 | United Kingdom | ||
Johan Wikmanson | 1753 | 1800 | Sweden | ||
John Williams | 1941 | United Kingdom | Born in Australia. | ||
Mason Williams | 1938 | ||||
Arthur Wills | 1926 | 2020 | United Kingdom | ||
Christopher Wilke | 1973 | United States | Emperor Romulus Augustus, His Serious Funk ; Diatribe; Never Kick a Man in a Suit | ||
Thomas Wilson | 1927 | 2001 | United Kingdom | ||
Pierre Wissmer | 1915 | 1992 | |||
Charles Wuorinen | 1938 | 2020 | United States | ||
Stavros Xarhakos | 1937 | Greece | |||
Narciso Yepes | 1927 | 1997 | Spain | ||
Andrew York | 1958 | United States | |||
Kenneth Young | 1955 | New Zealand | |||
Isang Yun | 1917 | 1996 | Korea | Re-located to Germany in 1959. | |
Atahualpa Yupanqui | 1908 | 1992 | Argentina | ||
Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph | 1948 | South Africa | |||
Marco Aurelio Zani de Ferranti | 1800 | 1878 | Italy | ||
Frank Zappa | 1940 | 1993 | United States | Waltz for Guitar | Short (0:39) 12-tone waltz written at the age of 18. |
Richard Zarou | 1981 | ||||
Friedrich Zehm | 1923 | 2007 | Germany | ||
Milan Zelenka | 1939 | Czechoslovakia | |||
Jaime Mirtenbaum Zenamon | 1953 | Bolivia | |||
Marilyn J. Ziffrin | 1926 | 2018 | United States | ||
Bernd Alois Zimmermann | 1918 | 1970 | Germany | ||
Sauli Zinovjev | 1988 | Finland | |||
The Classical Period was an era of classical music between roughly 1750 and 1820.
The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string instrument with strings made of gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the modern steel-string acoustic and electric guitars, both of which use metal strings. Classical guitars derive from instruments such as the lute, the vihuela, the gittern, which evolved into the Renaissance guitar and into the 17th and 18th-century baroque guitar. Today's modern classical guitar was established by the late designs of the 19th-century Spanish luthier, Antonio Torres Jurado.
This is a list of lists of composers grouped by various criteria.
A guitarist is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar by singing or playing the harmonica, or both.
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual 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. Isaac Albéniz was close to the Generation of '98.
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of music vary widely in substance and approach. While scholars agree that music is defined by a small number of specific elements, there is no consensus as to what these necessary elements are. Music is often characterized as a highly versatile medium for expressing human creativity. Diverse activities are involved in the creation of music, and are often divided into categories of composition, improvisation, and performance. Music may be performed using a wide variety of musical instruments, including the human voice.
Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called composers. Composers of primarily songs are usually called songwriters; with songs, the person who writes lyrics for a song is the lyricist. In many cultures, including Western classical music, the act of composing typically includes the creation of music notation, such as a sheet music "score", which is then performed by the composer or by other musicians. In popular music and traditional music, songwriting may involve the creation of a basic outline of the song, called the lead sheet, which sets out the melody, lyrics and chord progression. In classical music, orchestration is typically done by the composer, but in musical theatre and in pop music, songwriters may hire an arranger to do the orchestration. In some cases, a pop or traditional songwriter may not use written notation at all and instead compose the song in their mind and then play, sing or record it from memory. In jazz and popular music, notable sound recordings by influential performers are given the weight that written or printed scores play in classical music.
Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were either students of Segovia or students of Segovia's students. Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire included not only commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works. He is remembered for his expressive performances: his wide palette of tone, and his distinctive musical personality, phrasing and style.
John Christopher Williams is an Australian-born classical guitarist renowned for his ensemble playing as well as his interpretation and promotion of the modern classical guitar repertoire. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award in the Best Chamber Music Performance category with fellow guitarist Julian Bream for Together. Guitar historian Graham Wade has said that "John is perhaps the most technically accomplished guitarist the world has seen."
Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida is a Cuban composer, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council.
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Sharon Isbin is an American classical guitarist and the founding director of the guitar department at the Juilliard School.
Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial music, electronic music, experimental music, and minimalist music. Newer forms of music include spectral music, and post-minimalism.
Fernando Sor was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the late Classical era and early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar music, he also composed an opera, three symphonies, guitar duos, piano music, songs, a Mass, and at least two successful ballets: Cinderella, which received over one hundred performances, and Hercule et Omphale.
A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written to be played on a classical, electric, or acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular music such as blues, swing, jazz, jazz fusion, rock and heavy metal, guitar solos often contain virtuoso techniques and varying degrees of improvisation. Guitar solos on classical guitar, which are typically written in musical notation, are also used in classical music forms such as chamber music and concertos.
The early romantic guitar, the guitar of the Classical and Romantic period, shows remarkable consistency from 1790 to 1830. Guitars had six or more single courses of strings while the Baroque guitar usually had five double courses. The romantic guitar eventually led to Antonio de Torres Jurado's fan-braced Spanish guitars, the immediate precursors of the modern classical guitar.
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" can also be applied to non-Western art musics. Classical music is often characterized by formality and complexity in its musical form and harmonic organization, particularly with the use of polyphony. Since at least the ninth century it has been primarily a written tradition, spawning a sophisticated notational system, as well as accompanying literature in analytical, critical, historiographical, musicological and philosophical practices. A foundational component of Western culture, classical music is frequently seen from the perspective of individual or groups of composers, whose compositions, personalities and beliefs have fundamentally shaped its history.
Andrei Krylov, is a guitarist and composer, best known for his fantasy and romantic music compositions for the classical guitar and lute.
To a greater extent than most other instruments and ensembles, it is difficult to compose music for the guitar without either proficiency in the instrument or close collaboration with a guitarist. As a result, a large part of the guitar repertoire consists of works by guitarists who did not compose extensively for other instruments. Music prior to the classical era was often composed for performance on various combinations of instruments, and could be adapted by the performer to keyboard instruments, the lute, or the guitar. Since the beginning of the 20th century, however, a significant amount of music has been written for the guitar by non-guitarist composers.