Archives: Composers

Debussy, Claude

Born Achille-Claude Debussy on August 22, 1862, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, he became one of the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Surrounded by the sounds of his modest family (his father ran a china shop which, alas, didn’t quite take off) and his mother a seamstress. Debussy’s true calling lay beyond…
Boulanger, Lili

Marie-Juliette Olga “Lili” Boulanger (French: [maʁi ʒyljɛt lili bulɑ̃ʒe]) was born on August 21, 1893, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. She left an indelible mark on music during her tragically short life. Lili’s musical talent bloomed early. By the age of two, she was already singing melodies by ear—a little musical oracle in…
Parsons, Robert

c. 1535 – 25 January 1572 Born during the Tudor period, Parsons composed against the backdrop of England’s shifting religious landscape. His music danced through the reigns of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. Church Music Maestro: Parsons’s claim to fame lies in his compositions of church music. He wove intricate…
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da

c. 1525–2 February 1594 Born somewhere between 3 February 1525 and 2 February 1526 (we like to keep composers on their toes with those date uncertainties!), Palestrina was a central figure in the world of late Renaissance music. He stands tall as the leading composer of late 16th-century Europe, alongside luminaries like Orlande de Lassus…
Tallis, Thomas

c. 1505 – 23 November 1585) Tallis was an influential composer during the High Renaissance period. His compositions primarily focused on vocal music, and he holds a special place in the anthologies of English choral works. Born around the early 16th century (historians estimate between 1500 and 1520), Tallis lived through the reigns of several…
Keyper, Franz

In his history of the Danish Royal Orchestra 1648-1848, Carl Thrane writes that Franz Keyper was born in Neurode, County Glatz, Silesia, with no date of birth suggested, but in the Danish census of 1801 he is listed as being 45 years old, with the occupation ‘Hofviolon’ (Court Musician), and 1756 as a possible year…
Franck, Cesar

Born in Liège in 1822 and died in Paris in 1890. FRanck was an important composer, organist and teacher of his day and from the early 1870s was organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire. Franck was a prolific composer, writing symphonic, chamber and keyboard works, particularly for the organ, and much of his music has…
Mulligan, Ruth

Ruth Mulligan is a music teacher, piano accompanist and composer based in Cheltenham, England. She plays the viola, performing regularly with the Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra and participates in a local choir. She completed her B.Mus (hons) at the University of Wales, Bangor and her PGCE in secondary music at Oxford Brookes University. Ruth has composed…
Wilberg, Mack

Mack J. Wilberg is an American composer, arranger, conductor, and choral clinician who has been the music director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square since 20081. He was born on February 20, 1955, in Price, Utah1. Wilberg’s early life was marked by his musical talent, which was evident from a young age. He learned…
Vivaldi, Antonio

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, and teacher born on March 4, 1678, in Venice1. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the concerto form and for his numerous concertos for violin and other instruments. Vivaldi’s most famous work is “The Four Seasons,” a series of violin concertos…