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100 BCE
Epitaph of Seikilos
Seikilos lived with his wife Euterpe in Tralles, a city located in Asia Minor, about thirty kilometers from the populous city of Ephesus. He had a significant fortune and could therefore devote himself to the study of the arts, among which music stood out, something that every educated Greek should know. -
Period: 476 to 1496
Middle age
From V century to XV century. -
670
Gregorian Chant
The Gregorian chant is traditionally a simple, monodic chant (that is, several people sing the same melody, in unison or with an octave difference) and with a defined text. It is sometimes called "plainsong" and its main purpose was liturgical, meaning that it was used exclusively for religious ceremonies. For this very reason, and because it took place during Mass, the original language was Latin. -
992
Guido d’Arezzo
He studied at the Benedictine abbey of Pomposa. Settled in Arezzo in 1025, he was in charge of teaching the singers of the cathedral. -
1150
Leonin
Léonin (flourished 12th century) was the leading liturgical composer of his generation, associated with the Notre Dame, or Parisian, school of composition. -
1151
Bernart de Ventadorn
Bernard de Ventadour was a Provençal troubadour whose poetry is considered the finest in the Provençal language. -
1178
Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard von Bingen was a twelfth-century abbess with an exceptional career. Philosopher, theologian, composer, naturalist, scientist, poet... It is said that she was the precursor of opera, that she laid the foundations of sexology and that, if there is a figure that we often neglect in the history of science, it is undoubtedly this woman who shone with her own light in the Middle Ages. -
1221
Alfonzo X el Sabio
Alfonso X of Castile, called the Wise (Toledo, November 23, 12211 - Seville, April 4, 12842), was king of the Crown of Castile and the other titled kingdoms between 1252 and 1284. Upon the death of his father, Ferdinand III the Saint, he resumed the offensive against the Muslims and occupied Jerez (1253), Salé, the port of Rabat (1260) and conquered Cádiz (c. 1262). -
Period: 1250 to 1320
Ars Antiqua
The Ars Antiqua is a period in the history of music that spanned approximately the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In this period, new and complex musical forms developed that lasted for several centuries. The word "ars" means art or skill, and "antiqua" refers to the ancient or old. -
1270
Perotin
French composer. Successor of his teacher Léonin or Leoninus, he is considered the most outstanding representative of the so-called School of Notre Dame de Paris, active during the thirteenth century and in which the polyphonic style began to take shape. -
1300
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut (también Machault) (Machault?, Reims, c. 1300 – Reims, abril de 1377) fue un clérigo, poeta y compositor medieval francés. Su proyección fue enorme y es históricamente el máximo representante del movimiento conocido como Ars nova, siendo considerado el más célebre compositor del siglo XIV. Contribuyó al desarrollo del motete y de la canción secular. Compuso la Messe de Nostre. -
Period: 1320 to 1399
Ars Nova
Ars Nova is the name given to the music of the fourteenth century in Western Europe. The term is used to distinguish this era from music that had been composed earlier, known as Ars Antiqua. -
1325
Francesco Landini.
Francesco Landini or Landino (c. 1325 – 2 September 1397) was an Italian composer, organist, singer, poet, instrument maker and astrologer. He was one of the most famous and admired composers of the second half of the 14th century and certainly the most famous composer in Italy. -
1468
Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg (born 14th century, Mainz [Germany]—died probably February 3, 1468, Mainz) was a German craftsman and inventor who originated a method of printing from movable type. -
1500
Cristóbal de Morales
Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500 – between 4 September and 7 October 1553) was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He is generally considered to be the most influential Spanish composer before Tomás Luis de Victoria. -
1507
Martín Luther
Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther attempted to resolve these differences amicably, first proposing an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in Ninety-five -
1510
Antonio de Cabezón
Antonio de Cabezón (30 March 1510 – 26 March 1566) was a Spanish Renaissance composer and organist. Blind from childhood, he quickly rose to prominence as a performer and was eventually employed by the royal family. He was among the most important composers of his time and the first major Iberian keyboard composer. -
1526
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (between 3 February 1525 and 2 February 1526 – 2 February 1594) was an Italian composer of late Renaissance music. The central representative of the Roman School, with Orlande de Lassus and Tomás Luis de Victoria, Palestrina is considered the leading composer of late 16th-century Europe. -
1529
Juan del Encina
uan del Encina (12 July 1468 – 1529/1530)was a composer, poet, priest, and playwright,[2]: 535 often credited as the joint-father (even "founder" or "patriarch") of Spanish drama, alongside Gil Vicente. His birth name was Juan de Fermoselle. He spelled his name Enzina, but this is not a significant difference; it is two spellings of the same sound, in a time when "correct spelling" as we know it barely existed. -
1531
Andrea Gabrieli
Andrea Gabrieli (1532/1533 – August 30, 1585) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance. The uncle of the somewhat more famous Giovanni Gabrieli, he was the first internationally renowned member of the Venetian School of composers, and was extremely influential in spreading the Venetian style in Italy as well as in Germany. -
1532
Orlando di Lasso
This is the first full-length survey in English of the music of the Flemish composer Orlando di Lasso, one of the most important musical figures of the later 1500s. Eleven essays discuss Lasso's sacred and secular music from many perspectives, including close analysis of the music as well as broader considerations of its position in society, commerce, and liturgy. The influence of Lasso's music on other composers is another major theme in the book. -
1544
Maddalena Casulana
Maddalena Casulana (c. 1544 – c. 1590) was an Italian composer, lutenist and singer of the late Renaissance. She is the first female composer to have had a whole book of her music printed and published in the history of western music, dedicated to her female patron Isabella de' Medici. -
1548
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Tomás Luis de Victoria was a Catholic priest, choirmaster and famous polyphonic composer of the Spanish Renaissance. He has been considered one of the most relevant and advanced composers of his time, with an innovative style that announced the imminent Baroque. -
1554
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557 – 12 August 1612) was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms. -
1566
Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (between 8 March 1566 and 30 March 1566 – 8 September 1613) was an Italian nobleman and composer. Though both the Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, he is better known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century. He is also known for killing his first wife and her aristocratic lover upon finding them in flagrante delicto. -
1567
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered a crucial transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music history. -
Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carissimi baptized 18 April 1605 – 12 January 1674) was an Italian composer and music teacher. He is one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque or, more accurately, the Roman School of music. Carissimi established the characteristic features of the Latin oratorio and was a prolific composer of masses, motets, and cantatas. He was highly influential in musical developments in northern European countries through his pupils. -
Henry Purcel
Henry Purcell (born c. 1659, London, England—died November 21, 1695, London) was an English composer of the middle Baroque period, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas; and his incidental music to a version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream called The Fairy Queen. -
Barbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi (also called Barbara Valle; baptised 6 August 1619 – 11 November 1677) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque Period. During her lifetime, Strozzi published eight volumes of her own music, and had more secular music in print than any other composer of the era.[1] This was achieved without support from the Church or consistent patronage from the nobility. -
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi(4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, Vivaldi ranks amongst the greatest Baroque composers and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many imitators and admirers. He pioneered many developments in orchestration, violin technique and programmatic music. -
George Philipp Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving oeuvre. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the leading German composers of the time, and he was compared favourably both to his friend Johann Sebastian Bach, who made Telemann the godfather and namesake of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, and to George Frideric Handel, whom Telemann also knew personally. -
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including orchestral music such as the Brandenburg Concertos; solo instrumental works such as the cello suites and sonatas and partitas for solo violin. -
Georg Friedrich Händel
George Frideric Handel (/ˈhændəl/ HAN-dəl; baptised Georg Fried[e]rich Händel,German: [ˈɡeːɔʁk ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈhɛndl̩] ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727. -
Period: to
Stradivarius
A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari, in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These instruments are known for their craftsmanship, tonal quality, and lasting legacy, and are considered some of the finest ever made. Stradivari's violins, in particular, are coveted by musicians and collectors, with many selling for millions of dollars. -
Gluck
Gluck is a Bohemian-Austrian composer of Italian and French opera, and a leading figure in opera in the second half of the eighteenth century. He is celebrated today for his historical significance as the one composer who did the most to effect the transition between baroque and classical opera. -
J. Haydn
Joseph Haydn (born March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria—died May 31, 1809, Vienna) was an Austrian composer who was one of the most important figures in the development of the Classical style in music during the 18th century. He helped establish the forms and styles for the string quartet and the symphony. -
Nannerl Mozart
Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart (Salzburgo, 30 de julio de 1751 - Ibídem, 29 de octubre de 1829), también llamada Nannerl1 y Marianne, fue una famosa música del siglo XVIII. Era la hermana mayor de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart e hija de Leopold y Anna Maria Mozart. Biografía -
Maria Theresia Von Paradis
Maria Theresia von Paradis (Viena, 15 de mayo de 1759-ib, 1 de febrero de 1824) fue una pianista y compositora austriaca. A pesar de que desde los tres años perdiera por completo la vista, esto no fue impedimento para que la producción y obra de esta gran pianista, cantante y compositora no dejara de destacar. Sus aportes fueron fundamentales para la educación musical de su época, especialmente para los ciegos. -
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. Widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven dominates a period of musical history as no one else before or since. -
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hijo del violinista de la corte y maestro segundo de capilla Leopold Mozart, vio la luz por primera vez en la ciudad de Salzburgo el 27 de enero de 1756. -
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas. He was born on February 29, 1792 in Pesaro, Papal States, and died on November 13, 1868 in Passy, Paris, Second French Empire. Rossini also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He is considered the most important figure of opera in the first third of the 19th century. -
Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert was an important Austrian composer who is considered to be responsible for introducing musical Romanticism to the world and for continuing to use the classical sonata model that had previously been used by Ludwig van Beethoven. -
Beriloz
Hector Berlioz (born December 11, 1803, La Côte-Saint-André, France—died March 8, 1869, Paris) was a French composer, critic, and conductor of the Romantic period, known largely for his Symphonie fantastique (1830), the choral symphony Roméo et Juliette (1839), and the dramatic piece La Damnation de Faust (1846). His last years were marked by fame abroad and hostility at home. -
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Felix Mendelssohn (born February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Germany; died November 4, 1847, in Leipzig) was a German composer, pianist, musical conductor, and teacher, recognized as one of the most celebrated figures of the early Romantic period. -
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a 19th century German composer, pianist and music critic. He was born on June 8, 1810 in Zwickau, Germany. He is considered one of the most important and representative composers of musical Romanticism. His life and career were highlighted by his passionate dedication to music and his most important works. -
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Żelazowa Wola, near Warsaw, Poland. He was a leading composer and pianist of Romanticism, known for his virtuosity and exceptional sense of musical tone. From an early age, Chopin showed prodigious talent, beginning to play in the salons of the Polish aristocracy. Chopin passed away on October 17, 1849, leaving a musical legacy that remains influential in classical music. -
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt was one of the most important and influential exponents of the 19th century thanks to his technique and musical style on the piano. He was born on October 22, 1811 in Riding, a small town in Austria. Liszt is the creator of the symphonic poem, a typical form of romanticism, and of the modern technique of piano interpretation. Among his most important works are the “Concertos for Piano and Orchestra” and “Years of Pilgrimage”. -
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi (October 10, 1813 - January 27, 1901) was an Italian opera composer, considered one of the most important of all time. He was born in Le Roncole, near Busseto, and was noted for works such as Rigoletto, La traviata and Aida. Verdi is known for his dramatic compositions and strong characters, and dominated the European opera scene during the second half of the 19th century. -
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, Confederation of the Rhine, May 22, 1813 - Venice, Kingdom of Italy, February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, poet, essayist, playwright, and music theorist of the Romantic era. His operas are especially notable. -
Clara Wieck-Schumann
Clara Wieck, known as Clara Schumann, was a German pianist, composer and piano teacher. She was born in Leipzig on September 13, 1819 and died in Frankfurt am Main on May 20, 1896. -
Smetana
Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) was a Czech composer, widely regarded as the father of Czech music. His best-known works include the symphonic cycle Má vlast (1874–1879), which celebrates Czech history and landscapes, and the opera The Bartered Bride (1866), which remains a staple of the Czech operatic repertoire. Smetana's music played a key role in establishing Czech national identity in classical music. -
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German Romantic composer, pianist and conductor. He was born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg, Germany, and spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is considered one of the greatest Romantic composers of the 19th century and a “Classicist”. -
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881) was a Russian composer, known for works like Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) and Boris Godunov (1874), which reflect Russian cultural themes. He was a member of the Mighty Five, a group dedicated to creating a distinctly Russian classical music style. -
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) was a Russian composer known for his deeply emotional and dramatic music, blending Western and Russian influences. His famous works include Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and 1812 Overture, which remain iconic in classical music. Despite his success, he struggled with personal challenges and died under mysterious circumstances. -
Dvořák
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) was a Czech composer known for blending folk music with classical traditions, creating a unique national style. His famous works include the New World Symphony (1893) and Slavonic Dances (1878), which showcase his love for Czech and Slavic musical traditions. -
Grieg
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist, known for his rich, melodic style that often incorporated Norwegian folk music. His most famous work is the Peer Gynt Suite (1875), featuring iconic pieces like In the Hall of the Mountain King. Grieg's music played a key role in defining the national identity of Norwegian classical music. -
Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) was a key figure in the development of Russian classical music, known for his mastery in orchestration. His famous works include Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and The Flight of the Bumblebee. As a member of the "Mighty Handful," he helped shape Russian nationalistic music, blending folk themes with orchestral brilliance. -
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (Lucca, 22 de diciembre de 1858 - Bruselas, 29 de noviembre de 1924), más conocido simplemente como Giacomo Puccini, fue un compositor italiano de ópera, considerado entre los más grandes, de fines del siglo XIX y principios del XX. -
Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy was a French composer whose works were a seminal force in the music of the 20th century. He was born on August 22, 1862, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and died on March 25, 1918, in Paris at the age of 55. His works have strongly influenced a wide range of composers including Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin, and the jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans -
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf (March 13, 1860, Windischgraz, Austrian Empire - February 22, 1903, Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire) was an Austrian composer of Slovenian origin who lived during the late 19th century in Vienna. He was an enthusiastic follower of Wagner, who became mixed up in the disputes existing in Vienna at the time between Wagnerians and Formalists or Brahmsians. -
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was born on July 7, 1860 in Kalischt, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic). He grew up in a German-speaking Jewish family, and his parents ran an inn. Mahler is considered one of the most important composers of post-Romanticism. -
Sibelius
Sibelius fue un compositor y violinista finlandés de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX. Nació en Hämeenlinna el 8 de diciembre de 1865y se llamaba Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, aunque se hizo famoso como Jean Sibelius. Estudió piano, violín y composición en Helsinki y luego en Berlín y Viena. Escribió siete sinfonías y otras obras que reflejan el espíritu y la identidad de Finlandia. Murió en Järvenpää el 20 de septiembre de 1957 -
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) was a Spanish composer known for incorporating traditional Spanish folk music into his classical works. His famous compositions include El amor brujo (1915) and Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1916). De Falla is considered one of the leading figures in early 20th-century Spanish music. -
Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) was an Austrian composer and music theorist, known for pioneering the twelve-tone technique and being a key figure in the development of atonal and modernist music. His notable works include Verklärte Nacht (1899) and Suite for Piano, Op. 25 (1923), and his Pierrot Lunaire (1912), which revolutionized expressionism in music. Schoenberg's innovations drastically reshaped the landscape of 20th-century classical music. -
Ravel
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) was a French composer and pianist, renowned for his exquisite craftsmanship and innovative orchestration. His most famous work, Boléro (1928), is a powerful piece of repetitive rhythms and gradual orchestral buildup. Ravel is also known for Daphnis et Chloé (1912), a ballet, and Pavane for a Dead Princess (1899), showcasing his lush, impressionistic style. -
Bartók
Béla Bartók (1881–1945) was a Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist, known for blending folk music with classical elements. His works, like the Concerto for Orchestra (1943) and Six String Quartets (1908–1939), display his innovative use of rhythm, harmony, and folk-inspired melodies. Bartók is considered one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. -
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály fue un compositor, crítico musical y musicólogo étnico húngaro. Nació en Kecskemét el 16 de diciembre de 1882. Estudió composición en la Academia Musical y Filología en la facultad de Budapest. -
Joaquín Turina
Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) was a Spanish composer known for his integration of Spanish folk music into classical compositions. His works include La oración del torero (1925) and Carmen Fantasy (1933), showcasing his use of vibrant rhythms and Spanish idioms. Turina is considered an important figure in Spanish nationalism in music. -
Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) was a Russian composer and conductor, widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. His groundbreaking works include The Firebird (1910), The Soldier's Tale (1918), and The Rite of Spring (1913), the latter of which caused a riot due to its innovative rhythms and dissonances. Stravinsky's music spans multiple styles, from Russian nationalism to neoclassicism and serialism. -
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887 - November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist and classical guitarist described as “the most significant creative figure in Brazilian classical music of the 20th century”. Villa-Lobos has become the best-known South American composer of all time. -
Gershwin
American musician born in 1898 in the New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, he revolutionized the history of music as the first (and one of the few) to combine symphonic forms with elements of popular and jazz music. -
Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) was a French composer and organist, known for his distinctive use of rhythm, color, and harmony, as well as his deep religious and spiritual themes. His famous works include Turangalîla-Symphonie (1948), Quartet for the End of Time (1941), and Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus (1944). Messiaen was a pioneer in using non-traditional scales and rhythms, drawing inspiration from birdsong and his Catholic faith. -
Schaeffer
Pierre Schaeffer (1910–1995) was a French composer and the founder of musique concrète, a genre using recorded sounds as musical material. His groundbreaking work, Études de bruits (1948), marked the beginning of experimental electronic music. Schaeffer's innovations paved the way for modern sound composition and electronic music. -
John Cage
John Cage (1912–1992) was an American composer and music theorist, widely recognized for his innovative and experimental approach to music. He is best known for his groundbreaking work 4'33" (1952), a piece where the performer does not play any notes, focusing on the ambient sounds of the environment. Cage was a major influence in the development of chance music, prepared piano techniques, and non-traditional uses of sound. -
Pierre Henry
Pierre Henry (1927–2017) was a French composer and a pioneer of musique concrète, building upon the work of Pierre Schaeffer. His most famous work, Symphonie pour un homme seul (1950), is one of the earliest examples of electroacoustic music. Henry's compositions are characterized by innovative use of recorded sounds, creating a unique blend of classical and experimental music. -
Philip Glass
Philip Glass (1937–present) is an American composer, known for his pioneering work in minimalist music. His compositions, such as Einstein on the Beach (1976) and Glassworks (1982), feature repetitive structures and shifting patterns that create a hypnotic effect. Glass's influence extends across classical, film, and popular music, making him one of the most prominent composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. -
Ado
Ado is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In 2020, at the age of 17, she debuted with "Usseewa", which peaked at number 1 on Billboard Japan Hot 100, Oricon Digital Singles Chart, Oricon Streaming Chart. The song reached 100 million plays on Billboard Japan within 17 weeks of charting, which was the sixth fastest in history and the youngest for a solo singer. In 2022, her song"New Genesis" was used as the theme song for One Piece Film: Red and topped Apple Music's Global Top 100 charts.