Composer Corner
Do you share a birthday with a famous composer?
For the Month of March
March 1st-Federic Chopin (1810):
World-famous virtuoso pianist and composer from Poland. Died at only 39 years old. His compositions, however, remain widely performed and are a staple of the piano repertoire.
March 2nd-Bedrich Smetana (1824):
Czech composer who wrot4 about his native Bohemia in such works as Ma Vlast. Credited a "the father of Czech music" for his evocative and folk-inspired melodies.
March 4th-Antonio Vivaldi (1678):
One of the most famous Baroque composers, particularly known for his many violin concertos and works for string orchestras including The Four Seasons.
March 5th-Heitor Villa-Labos (1887):
Multi-talented Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and guitarist. Wrote over 200 compositions blending Brazilian folk music with Western European Art Music (aka Classical).
March 7th-Maurice Ravel (1875):
French-born composer, conductor, and pianist, is considered one of the most influential composers of the Impressionist period. He wrote mainly piano and orchestral works and was one of the first to start recording his music in 1920's
March 8th-Carl Philip Emanuel Bach (1714):
The fifth child of Johan Sebastian Bach. Hailing from a musical family with no less than twenty siblings, four of whom became composers, C.P.E Bach was an influential Classical musician of his time.
March 9th-Samuel Barber (1910):
Award-winning American composer, known for his lyrical, emotional and expressive works, among them the beloved Adagio for the Strings written in 1936.
Spanish violinist who remains a key historical figure for his virtuosity and technique of the instrument. He toured ad performed extensively in over 600 concerts playing his 1724 Stradivari violin.
March 18-Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844):
One of the greatest Russian composers of all time, he was part of the "Russian Five". A group of composers who revived and elevated Russian music to the world stage through the fusion of folk, traditional, and western classical music. His works remain some of the most popular selections in Classical repertoire.
March 21st-Modest Mussorgsky (1839):
https://youtu.be/yUfSstK3MOcContemporary of Rimsky-Korsakov and part of the Russian FIve. Mussorgsky also shared an extraordinary talent in orchestration as evident in his widely recognized works Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition.
March 22nd-Stephen Sondheim (1930):
American composer known for his contribution to musical theater and various Broadway shows including Sweeney Todd (1979) and Sunday in the Park with George (1984). He shares his birthday with another famous theater composer:
Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948):
Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Evita- Webber's instantly recognizable list of musicals makes him one of the most famous and successful composers in the business.
March 24th-Georg Philipp Telemann (1681):
Largely self-taught instrumentalist and composer of German origin, Telemann was a prolific Baroque composer, contemporary of Johan Sebastian Bah, and godfather to his son, Carl Philipp Emanuel.
March 25th-Bela Bertok (1881):
Considered one of Hungarian's most important musicians to date. Bartok made his mark as a prominent composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He traveled far and wide with his colleague and fellow ethnomusicologist Zoltan Kodaly, collecting and recording folk music.
March 26th-Pierre Boulex (1925)
Avant-garde French composer and one of the most widely known conductors, he directed the world's greatest orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, and many more.
March 31st-Franz Joseph Haydn (1732)
Known as "The Father of Symphony," Haydn composed over 100 symphonies, and dozens of string quartets, concertos, and piano works. Fun fact: he was a friend and mentor to both Mozart and Beethoven and shares his birthday with another legendary composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685):
Widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach was a key figure in developing and codifying many aspects of musical theory and composition that generations of musicians have studied in the centuries since. His keyboard, orchestral, and solo works continue to be the gold standard of music repertoire worldwide.