An American composer of film scores, opera, piano, chamber music, and other forms. Copland is best known for his ballet music ("Appalachian Spring," 1944; "Rodeo," 1942) and his orchestral works ("Lincoln Portrait," 1942; "Fanfare for the Common Man," 1942). Sincerely concerned about relating to a wide public without compromising his music,... [+] Read More

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One of the boldest musical innovators in modern Russia, Schnittke wrote five symphonies, chamber music, concertos, and vocal and piano music. ~ Mary K. Scanlan, All Music Guide

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Schoenberg, who taught Webern and Berg, is the well-known inventor of the 12-tone system (Josef Hauer independently invented one on separate principles about the same time). Schoenberg was, amazingly, a self-taught musician, whose Harmonienlehre ("Theory of Harmony") is still studied for the breadth of its understanding of the deepest meaning of... [+] Read More

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American modern composer George Crumb is known for his innovative means of composition, including his use of numerology and new playing techniques to generate keyboard and orchestral pieces like Ancient Voices of Children (1970). Other works of note include his madrigals, as well as his composition Vox Balaenae for flute, cello and piano. Crumb... [+] Read More

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An American composer of modern music with a tonal, romantic style. His recent A Figaro for Antonio (1985) has been called an "electric rock opera" in the style of Bizet. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide

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Studied piano with Madame Maurina-Press, comp. with Wallingford Riegger, Stefan Wolpe. Was Edgard Varése Professor at State University of New York at Buffalo. Began graphic works, with open pitch and rhythm, and music "free from a compositional rhetoric" in early '50s, eg. Structures for string quartet (1951). Music with pitches given but with... [+] Read More

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Born Paul Frankenburger, Ben Haim studied piano, composition and conducting at the Munich Academy of Arts. From 1924 to 1931 he served as conductor at Augsburg. He then returned to Munich to concentrate on composition but was forced to leave because of the onset of Nazi rule. He moved to Tel-Aviv in 1933 and took the name of Ben Haim. He went on... [+] Read More

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Largely self-taught, worked with the Experimental Workshop in Tokyo in early '50s. Guitarist, pianist. Received Italia Prize in 1958. Influenced by John Cage, jazz, serialism, Debussy, ancient Japanese music, and many world cultures. Unique polyrhythmic and open scoring methods combined with traditional Western notation. First combinations of... [+] Read More

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