Archives: Composers

Jacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer, cellist, and impresario, renowned for his contributions to the development of operetta. Born: June 20, 1819, in Cologne, Prussia (now Germany) Died: October 5, 1880, in Paris, France Offenbach showed early musical talent and was accepted as a student at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 14.…

Édouard Nanny (1872-1942) was the leading French bassist of his generation, taught at the Paris Conservatoire for 20 years, and is recognised as the founder of the modern French double bass school. Alongside a wealth of transcriptions for double bass, Nanny also composed a series of original works which are worthy of revival in the…

David Popper (1843-1913), a leading cello virtuoso of his day, was born in Prague, studied cello at the Prague Conservatoire with Julius Goltermann, subsequently toured throughout Europe as a soloist and became principal cellist of the Vienna Court Opera. He also performed as a chamber musician with Johannes Brahms, Jenő Hubay, Emil Sauret and Clara…

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer born on December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of operatic realism and is known for bringing the history of Italian opera to a close with his works. Puccini’s most famous operas include “La Bohème” (1896), “Tosca” (1900), “Madama…

Modest Mussorgsky was a significant Russian composer born on March 21, 1839, in Karevo, Russia, and he passed away on March 28, 1881, in St. Petersburg. He was a prominent figure in the Russian music scene during the Romantic period and was part of “The Five,” a group of composers dedicated to creating a distinctly…

Double bassist Michael Montgomery, a student of Robert Rohe (Principal Bass, New Orleans Symphony) and Lucas Drew (Principal Bass, Miami Philharmonic), earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in double bass performance from the University of Miami, played full-time in the bass section of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for two decades. He now lives in…

Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer, conductor, and educator known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. Her compositions are deeply inspired by the transformative relationships that can occur through making choral music, and she writes in a way that connects singer to singer, ensemble to conductor, and performer to audience. Her works…

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, born on April 1, 1873, in Semyonovo, Russia, and he passed away on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California, USA. He is widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of his day and as a composer, one of the last great representatives…

Henry Purcell was an English composer of Baroque music, born around September 10, 1659, in Westminster, London, England. He passed away on November 21, 1695, in Marsham Street, London1. Purcell’s musical style was uniquely English, though it incorporated Italian and French elements. He is generally considered one of the greatest English opera composers and is…