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…
Robert Wylkynson [Wilkinson] (c.1450-1515?) was at Eton Chapel from 1496 to 1515, first as parish clerk and then from 1500 as master of the choristers. His nine-part Salve Regina and his Apostles’ Creed (Jesus Autems Transiens) for 13 voices are the last entries in the manuscript and possibly were copied by him. Wylkynson’s work has…
Jeffery Wilson is one of the country’s foremost composers and educators in music, especially in the field of jazz. He studied composition at the Royal College of music with John Lambert and Herbert Howells, later with Aladar Majorossy, Gordon Jacob and Olivier Messiaen. From 1986 until recently he was visiting lecturer in composition, improvisation and…
Maurice Ravel was a renowned French composer, pianist, and conductor, born on March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, France, and passed away on December 28, 1937, in Paris1. He is often associated with Impressionism, a movement he shared with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, though both composers rejected the term. Ravel’s music is celebrated for its…
Jean Sibelius, born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He was born on December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, Grand Duchy of Finland, and passed away on September 20, 1957, in Järvenpää, Finland1. Sibelius is widely regarded as Finland’s greatest composer, and his music is often credited…
John Taverner was an English composer and organist, regarded as one of the most important English composers of his era. He was born around 1490 and passed away on October 18, 15451. Taverner is best known for his Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas, The Western Wynde Mass, and Missa Corona Spinea, which are often viewed as…
Armand Russell was born in Seattle, Washington in 1932. He received the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Washington, with a major in music composition, and a Doctorate in music composition from the Eastman School of Music. He studied double bass with Leslie Martin, who played in the Seattle…
Josef Strauss was an Austrian composer, born on August 20, 1827, in Mariahilf (now part of Vienna), Austria. He was the son of Johann Strauss I and Maria Anna Streim, and the brother of Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss1. Initially, Josef pursued a career in engineering and worked for the city of Vienna as…
Born: March 18, 1844, in Tikhvin, Russia.Died: June 21, 1908, in Lyubensk, near St. Petersburg, Russia. A highly influential Russian composer, teacher, and member of the “Mighty Handful” (also known as “The Five”), a group dedicated to creating a distinctively Russian style of classical music. He is particularly renowned for his mastery of orchestration, his…
Robert Schumann was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic of the Romantic era, born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany. He passed away on July 29, 1856, in Endenich, near Bonn, Prussia, Germany. Schumann is renowned particularly for his piano music, songs (lieder), and orchestral music. Many of his best-known piano…
