callings of the archive
Composer Biographies
Every archived life recorded as composer, ordered by their place in the ledger.
Medieval era
Bernart de Ventadorn
c. 1140 – c. 1190
12th-century troubador
Medieval era
Bertran de Born
1140 – 1215
Occitan troubadour
Medieval era
Ulrich von Liechtenstein
c. 1200 – January 26, 1275
Austrian poet and nobleman
Contemporary era
Dido
b. December 25, 1971
English singer and songwriter (born 1971)
Modern era
A. Hameed (writer)
1934 – May 20, 1991
Pakistani film score composer
Modern era
Altaf Mahmud
December 23, 1933 – 1971
Bangladeshi musician and freedom fighter (1933 – 1971)
Modern era
Bal Gandharva
June 26, 1888 – July 15, 1967
Indian Marathi singer and stage actor (1888–1967)
Modern era
Abbasuddin Ahmed
October 27, 1901 – December 30, 1959
Bengali singer
Contemporary era
Ahmad Zahir
June 14, 1946 – June 14, 1979
Afghan singer (1946-1979)
Contemporary era
Imhotep
b. May 19, 1960
French DJ, composer and record producer
Medieval era
Peter Abelard
1079 – April 21, 1142
French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician (c.1079-1142)
Modern era
Yoko Ono
b. February 18, 1933
Japanese artist and activist based in the United States (born 1933)
Early Modern era
Henry Purcell
September 10, 1659 – November 21, 1695
English composer (1659–1695)
Early Modern era
Arcangelo Corelli
February 17, 1653 – January 8, 1713
Italian violinist and composer (1653–1713)
Early Modern era
Johann Pachelbel
September 1, 1653 – March 3, 1706
German composer, organist and teacher
Early Modern era
Domenico Scarlatti
October 26, 1685 – July 23, 1757
Italian composer, son of Alessandro Scarlatti
Early Modern era
Antonio Salieri
August 18, 1750 – May 7, 1825
Italian composer and teacher (1750–1825)
Modern era
Johann Strauss II
October 25, 1825 – June 3, 1899
Austrian composer (1825-1899)
Modern era
Jacques Offenbach
June 20, 1819 – October 5, 1880
German-born French composer (1819–1880)
Modern era
Georges Bizet
October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875
French composer (1838–1875)
Modern era
Gabriel Faure
May 12, 1845 – November 4, 1924
French composer, organist, pianist and teacher (1845–1924)
Modern era
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
March 6, 1844 – June 20, 1908
Russian composer (1844–1908)
Modern era
Modest Mussorgsky
March 9, 1839 – March 16, 1881
Russian composer (1839–1881)
Modern era
Alexander Scriabin
January 6, 1872 – April 27, 1915
Russian composer and pianist (1872–1915)
Modern era
Bedrich Smetana
March 2, 1824 – May 12, 1884
Czech composer
Modern era
Bela Bartok
March 25, 1881 – September 26, 1945
Hungarian composer and pianist (1881–1945)
Modern era
Gustav Holst
September 21, 1874 – May 25, 1934
British composer (1874–1934)
Modern era
Edward Elgar
June 2, 1857 – February 23, 1934
English composer (1857-1934)
Modern era
Benjamin Britten
November 22, 1913 – December 4, 1976
English composer, conductor, and pianist (1913-1976)
Modern era
Carl Orff
July 10, 1895 – March 29, 1982
German composer (1895–1982)
Modern era
Aaron Copland
November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990
American composer, composition teacher, writer, and conductor (1900-1990)
Modern era
Samuel Barber
March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981
American composer (1910-1981)
Modern era
Philip Glass
b. January 31, 1937
American composer (born 1937)
Modern era
John Cage
September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992
American avant-garde composer (1912-1992)
Modern era
Arvo Part
b. September 11, 1935
Estonian composer (born 1935)
Modern era
Astor Piazzolla
March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992
Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player and arranger
Modern era
Heitor Villa-Lobos
March 5, 1887 – November 17, 1959
Brazilian composer (1887–1959)
Modern era
Joaquin Rodrigo
November 22, 1901 – July 6, 1999
Spanish composer, best known for his Concierto de Aranjuez (1901–1999)
Modern era
Glenn Gould
September 25, 1932 – October 4, 1982
Canadian composer and pianist (1932–1982)
Contemporary era
Yo-Yo Ma
b. October 7, 1955
American cellist (born 1955)
Modern era
Arturo Toscanini
March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957
Italian conductor (1867–1957)
Modern era
Anthony Hopkins
b. December 31, 1937
Welsh–American actor and director (born 1937)
Modern era
Scott Joplin
March 31, 1868 – April 1, 1917
American composer, musician, pianist (1867/68-1917)
Modern era
John Philip Sousa
November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932
American conductor and composer (1854–1932)
Modern era
Glenn Miller
March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944
American band leader, arranger, and composer (1904–1944)
Modern era
Benny Goodman
May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1909–1986)
Contemporary era
Billie Eilish
b. December 18, 2001
American singer-songwriter (born 2001)
Modern era
Dizzy Gillespie
October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993
American jazz trumpeter (1917–1993)
Modern era
Thelonious Monk
October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982
American jazz pianist and composer (1917–1982)
Modern era
Django Reinhardt
January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953
Romani-Belgian /French jazz musician (1910–1953)
Modern era
Ritchie Valens
May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959
American musician (1941–1959)
Modern era
Roy Orbison
April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988
American musician (1936 –1988)
Contemporary era
Al Green
b. April 13, 1946
American singer
Contemporary era
Donna Summer
December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012
American singer (1948–2012)
Modern era
Antonio Carlos Jobim
January 25, 1927 – December 8, 1994
Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist (1927–1994)
Modern era
Mohammed Rafi
December 24, 1924 – July 31, 1980
Indian playback singer (1924–1980)
Modern era
Kishore Kumar
August 4, 1929 – October 13, 1987
Indian singer and actor (1929–1987)
Modern era
Asha Bhosle
September 8, 1933 – April 12, 2026
Indian playback singer (1933–2026)
Contemporary era
Leslie Cheung
September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003
Hong Kong singer and actor (1956–2003)
Contemporary era
Ryuichi Sakamoto
January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023
Japanese composer (1952–2023)