by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: January 21, 2012

Although the notion of contemporary composers may seem antithetical to classical music, there are in fact many composers who studied classical music and used the things they learned such as orchestration, harmony, theme and variation creation and composition structures such as the concerto, the sonata, the mass, the cantata, the oratorio and so on. Not so surprisingly, there are some phenomenally talented contemporary composers. Whether or not you like their music is completely subjective. Acknowledging that some of are among the most talented contemporary composers is slightly more objective.

Oliver Knussen  (born June 12, 1952)

When the British newspaper The Guardian says “No figure in British contemporary music is more respected than Oliver Knussen,” it’s impossible not to recognize that Knussen is one of the most talented contemporary composers anywhere. He is also a world renown conductor who is travels to conduct not only his own works, but other classical compositions as well. Knussen has won multiple prizes as a composer. He wrote an opera based on Maurice Sendek’s children’s book “Where The Wild Things Are.”

Peter Lieberson (October 25, 1946 - April 23, 2011)

Lieberson may be best known for vocal compositions he composed for his late wife the famed mezzo soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. He received recognition after Peter Serkin performed his first piano concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. He went on to write other works for the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as vocal pieces, most notably the Rilke Songs and the Neruda Songs - for his late wife.

George Crumb (October 24, 1929)

George Crumb is an American composer whose musical portfolio is nothing if not diverse and huge. He wrote music for percussion instruments, voice, piano, string instruments, and unique combinations including voice. People either love or hate his music, and there probably isn’t much middle ground. Crumb was named Composer of the Year in 2004, and received a Grammy in 2001 for Best Contemporary Composition. The piece was called “Star-Child.”

Keith Jarrett (May 8, 1945)

Keith Jarrett received an extensive musical education, and is a world-respected classical pianist. Most people probably recognize him for his jazz compositions and amazing ability to improvise. He has written orchestral music, music for soloists and chamber music. He also plays with a group, and blends musical styles in what would best be called fusion music.

John  Coolidge Adams (February 15, 1947)

Born and educated in New England, John Adams now makes the San Francisco Bay area his home. Two of his most well-known works include the opera Nixon in China (written in 1987) which was performed by the Metropolitan Opera in New York in February 2011, and The Death of Klinghoffer, from 1991. His work entitled City Noir was written for orchestra and was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009 under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel in a world premier performance.

Obviously, there are other very talented contemporary composers. These composers used the knowledge they acquired from classical music training, to create familiar compositional forms that take those traditions to their most extreme limits, the result of which is very modern works that belong to the classical music tradition, but are unique in their own right. They challenge music lovers to open their minds, their hearts and their ears to the limitless possibilities of musical composition.

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