Listen Live to KDFC



Thanks for joining us for KDFC's Summer of the Great Composers! Peruse the list below to see who made the list (and who didn't). You may be shocked. Let us know what you think on KDFC's Facebook Page. To join the conversation, click here.

And what a great summer it's been. We hate for it to end, so we’re going to play back your top 40 composers again. Starting Friday, August 26th through Monday the 29th, we’ll play one work each hour from 9a to 7p as we count them down one more time, and we’ll slip in some of the composers who just missed the list too. A fun way to cap off the summer with the Summer of the Great Composers recap from Classical KDFC.

Looking for more Great Composer fun? Think you can name the musical mugs in our Great Composer collage? Give it, click here!
 

#1: Ludwig van Beethoven


The most famous and influential composer in music history. His life and music provided the template for musical Romanticism.

Bio, fun facts and more about Ludwig van Beethoven at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Ludwig van Beethoven
 

#2: Johann Sebastian Bach


Bach was a formidable intellectual and technical composer, but his music is also uplifting and spiritual, melodic, and rhythmically irresistible. Few names in music are as revered as Bach’s.

Bio, fun facts and more about Johann Sebastian Bach at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Johann Sebastian Bach
 

#3: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart


Mozart was a supreme melodist and is one of the most popular classical composers of all time. “Mozartean” is practically synonymous with elegance and grace.

Bio, fun facts and more about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 

#4: Antonin Dvořák


Beloved Czech composer of symphonic, chamber and operatic works. Most famous for the “New World” symphony.

Bio, fun facts and more about Antonin Dvořák at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Antonin Dvořák
 

#5: Frédéric Chopin


Chopin embodies the Romantic ideal of the introverted and reclusive genius. His music is full of unexpected twists and turns, and explores the full  range of Romantic expression through the piano.

Bio, fun facts and more about Frédéric Chopin at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Frédéric Chopin
 

#6: Gustav Mahler


Last of the great line of German symphonists. One of the musicians who bridged Romanticism and the early Modernist era at the turn of the 20th century.

Bio, fun facts and more about Gustav Mahler at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Gustav Mahler
 

#7: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky


The first fully conservatory-trained, professional composer of consequence in Russia. His melodic gift made him an international superstar and he remains one of the most popular Romantic composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
 

#8: Antonio Vivaldi


Possibly the best-known Italian Baroque composer, Vivaldi wrote more than 400 concertos (such as his famous Four Seasons), thus cementing the basics of this now-standard musical form.

Bio, fun facts and more about Antonio Vivaldi at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Antonio Vivaldi
 

#9: Sergei Rachmaninoff


Late, great, Russian Romantic composer. Equally famous as a pianist; many of his best compositions are for that instrument.

Bio, fun facts and more about Sergei Rachmaninoff at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Sergei Rachmaninoff
 

#10: Johannes Brahms


Often called the successor to Beethoven, Brahms achieved greatness in a wide variety of genres. Despite his intellectual rigor, he is one of the most popular Romantic composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about Johannes Brahms at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Johannes Brahms
 

#11: George Gershwin


Composer of some of the most beloved concert works of the 20th century, along with dozens of familiar jazz standards.

Bio, fun facts and more about George Gershwin at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by George Gershwin
 

#12: Claude Debussy


Frenchman Claude Debussy offered a musical alternative to Romanticism. Because he reinterpreted or discarded many of the laws of traditional harmony and form, he is considered one of the fathers of modern music.

Bio, fun facts and more about Claude Debussy at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Claude Debussy
 

#13: John Williams


Composer of the most instantly recognizable and popular film music in Hollywood history, and one of the most honored American classical composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about John Williams at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by John Williams
 

#14: Edvard Grieg


The first Norwegian composer to gain a Europe-wide reputation, famous for his lyrical, shorter pieces.

Bio, fun facts and more about Edvard Grieg at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Edvard Grieg
 

#15: Felix Mendelssohn(-Bartholdy)


“The Mozart of the Nineteenth Century,” according to Robert Schumann. Mendelssohn’s Romanticism was tempered by a love of J.S. Bach and other German classic composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about Felix Mendelssohn at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Felix Mendelssohn
 

#16: Ralph Vaughan Williams


The leading composer of the generation that "revived" British classical music in the early 20th Century. He was inspired by English folk song and Elizabethan and 17th-century English music.

Bio, fun facts and more about Ralph Vaughan Williams at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Ralph Vaughan Williams
 

#17: George Frideric Handel


Born in Germany and trained in Italy, Handel immigrated to London and became the most celebrated composer in English history. Originator of the English oratorio, most notably Messiah.

Bio, fun facts and more about George Frideric Handel at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by George Frideric Handel:
 
 

#18: Aaron Copland


20th-century American composer, often nicknamed "The Dean of American Composers," for the quintessentially American musical sound he created.

Bio, fun facts and more about Aaron Copland at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Aaron Copland
 

#19: Giacomo Puccini


Last in the line of "Golden Age" Italian opera composers, responsible for some of the world's most beloved operas.

Bio, fun facts and more about Giacomo Puccini at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Giacomo Puccini
 

#20: Sergei Prokofiev


Loved for his beautiful melodies, Prokofiev also demonstrated a sense of humor-often biting-that tempered his Romanticism. He is one of the most popular 20th-century composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about Sergei Prokofiev at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Sergei Prokofiev
 

#21: Camille Saint-Saëns


The leading French composer of his generation, he was considered the “French Beethoven” in his lifetime, and was often compared to Mozart.

Bio, fun facts and more about Camille Saint-Saëns at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Camille Saint-Saëns
 

#22: Dmitri Shostakovich


Russian 20th-century composer especially famous for his symphonies.

Bio, fun facts and more about Dmitri Shostakovich at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Dmitri Shostakovich
 

#23: Joseph Haydn


“Papa” Haydn; the most celebrated composer of his time, developer of the string quartet and a major influence on symphonic composition.

Bio, fun facts and more about Joseph Haydn at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Joseph Haydn
 

#24: Alexander Porfir′yevich Borodin


Full-time chemist, part time genius composer.

Bio, fun facts and more about Alexander Porfir′yevich Borodin at San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Alexander Porfir′yevich Borodin
 

#25: Robert Schumann


Early standard-bearer for German musical Romanticism in mid-19th century, and a powerful influence on Romantic musicians.

Bio, fun facts and more about Robert Schumann at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Robert Schumann
 

#26: Gabriel Fauré


The greatest French art song composer, and one of the most original musicians of the 19th Century.

Bio, fun facts and more about Gabriel Fauré at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Gabriel Fauré
 

#27: Richard Wagner


Wagner reinvented German opera and became one of the most influential composers of all time. His reforms affected opera composition, theatrical practice in general, and the development of the orchestra.

Bio, fun facts and more about Richard Wagner at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Richard Wagner
 

#28: Franz Schubert


Seminal composer of the early Romantic era. His original harmonies and his affinity for homely genres like the art-song (lieder) and short piano pieces were hugely influential.

Bio, fun facts and more about Franz Schubert at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Franz Schubert
 

#29: Georg Philipp Telemann


One of the most celebrated and prolific composers of the German Baroque, his mastery of many styles and incredible ingenuity and inventiveness have brought him renewed popularity.

Bio, fun facts and more about Georg Philipp Telemann at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Georg Philipp Telemann
 

#30: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov


Composer of Scheherazade and several great operas, Rimsky-Korsakov was also a great teacher, one of the most important influences in 19th-century Russian music.

Bio, fun facts and more about Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
 

#31: Gioachino Rossini


Known as “The Swan of Pesaro,” Rossini was the most popular composer of the first half of the 19th century. Rossini’s highly ornate musical style revolutionized the art form, inaugurating the “Golden Century” of Italian opera.

Bio, fun facts and more about Gioachino Rossini at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Gioachino Rossini
 

#32: Richard Strauss


Initially famous as a composer of symphonic poems (notably “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” which contains the theme made famous in “2001: Space Odyssey”), he later concentrated on writing operas. Strauss is an important link between Romanticism and 20th-century modernism.

Bio, fun facts and more about Richard Strauss at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Richard Strauss
 

#33: Jean Sibelius


Finnish symphonist considered a national hero in his homeland. His music spans an enormous emotional range, and many of his innovations remain influential on contemporary composers.

Bio, fun facts and more about Jean Sibelius at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Jean Sibelius
 

#34: Maurice Ravel


In early 20th-century France, Ravel was one of the great orchestrators in music. He used his original harmonic sensibility to create lush, tuneful, and engaging works.

Bio, fun facts and more about Maurice Ravel at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Maurice Ravel
 

#35: Sir Edward William Elgar


The leading English composer at the beginning of the 20th century, Elgar was the first one in more than a century to earn a major international reputation. He was equally successful with small, popular works and large, symphonic ones.

Bio, fun facts and more about Sir Edward William Elgar at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Sir Edward William Elgar
 

#36: Erik Satie


A stinging gadfly in the dead white male club, Satie rejected most ideas of “great” music he inherited, and struck out on his own to discover a modern, un-Romantic style.

Bio, fun facts and more about Erik Satie at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Erik Satie
 

#37: Georges Bizet


Composer of the opera Carmen and a handful of other popular works.

Bio, fun facts and more about Georges Bizet at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Georges Bizet
 

#38: Giuseppe Verdi


Creator of several of the world’s most popular operas, Verdi is generally considered the greatest Italian opera composer.

Bio, fun facts and more about Giuseppe Verdi at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Giuseppe Verdi
 

#39: Gustav Holst


The composer of one of the most popular orchestral works of all time, The Planets.

Bio, fun facts and more about Gustav Holst at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Gustav Holst
 

#40: Franz Liszt


As much a superstar in his time as Michael Jackson was in ours, he revolutionized the art of piano playing. As a composer he remains most famous for his tuneful and brilliant Hungarian Rhapsodies.

Bio, fun facts and more about Franz Liszt at
San Francisco Classical Voice

Buy CDs by Franz Liszt



Underwrite our programming