Henri Dutilleux
Henri Paul Julien Dutilleux (French: [ɑ̃ʁi dytijø]; 22 January 1916 – 22 May 2013) was a French composer who created classical music in the late 20th century. He was one of the most important French composers of his time. His music was inspired by the Impressionistic style of composers like Debussy and Ravel, but he developed a unique and personal style.
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and bird watcher. He was one of the most important musicians of the 20th century and also taught many students about music composition and analysis. Messiaen began studying music at the Conservatoire de Paris when he was 11 years old.
Henryk Górecki
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki ( / ɡ ə ˈ r ɛ t s k i / gə- RET -skee ; Polish: [ˈxɛnrɨk miˈkɔwaj ɡuˈrɛt͡skʲi] ; 6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish composer who created contemporary classical music. According to critic Alex Ross, no recent classical composer achieved as much commercial success as Górecki. He became an important figure in Poland’s experimental music scene during the post-Stalin cultural thaw.
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (Polish: [ˈkʂɨʂtɔf pɛndɛˈrɛt͡skʲi]; November 23, 1933 – March 29, 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His most famous works include Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Symphony No. 3, St Luke Passion, Polish Requiem, Anaklasis, and Utrenja.
Aulis Sallinen
Aulis Heikki Sallinen (born April 9, 1935) is a Finnish composer who creates modern classical music. His music has been described as “very intense and challenging,” a “well-designed mix of different 20th-century styles,” and “neo-romantic.” Sallinen studied at the Sibelius Academy, where his teachers included Joonas Kokkonen. His works have been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, and he has written seven operas, eight symphonies, and concertos for violin, cello, flute, horn, and English horn.
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈei̯noˌjuhɑni ˈrɑu̯tɑˌʋɑːrɑ]; born October 9, 1928; died July 27, 2016) was a Finnish composer who created classical music. He was one of the most well-known Finnish composers after Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). Rautavaara wrote many musical works that covered many different styles.
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈɑrvo ˈpært]; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has used a minimalist style in his music, which includes a special way of composing called tintinnabuli that he created. His music is inspired by Gregorian chant.
John Tavener
Sir John Kenneth Tavener was born on January 28, 1944, and passed away on November 12, 2013. He was an English composer who created choral religious music. Some of his famous works include The Lamb (1982), The Protecting Veil (1988), and Song for Athene (1993).
Oliver Knussen
Stuart Oliver Knussen CBE was born on June 12, 1952, and passed away on July 8, 2018. He was a British composer and conductor who created music in the contemporary classical style. He was one of the most important British composers of his time.
Harrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer who created music in the modern classical style. He is best known for his operas, which often tell stories from myths. Some of his most famous works include The Triumph of Time (1972), The Mask of Orpheus (1986), Gawain (1991), and The Minotaur (2008).