Famous Composers

While most people think of only classical composers when they think of famous composers, there are also modern day composers who have created music enjoyed by people all over the world. Here are some of the composers whose music has stood the test of time.    

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart One of the most famous composers of the world is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Despite his early death at the age of 35, he still composed over 600 classical works. A child prodigy, he toured Europe as a child with his sister and became the court musician in Salzburg at 17 years old. Some of his most famous works include "A Little Night Music" and the opera "Don Giovanni." 
2. Ludwig van Beethoven Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, Beethoven is often regarded as one of the most influential classical composer of all time (along with Mozart). "Symphony No. 5," "Symphony No. 9" and the opera "Fidelio" are just some of his most famous works. His compositions continue to be played by symphonies around the world today.   
3. Andrew Lloyd Webber Famous composers go beyond classical music. British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed the music for some of the most famous musicals of the 20th century. Famous musicals include "Cats," "Evita" and "The Phantom of the Opera." These musicals have enjoyed such success that they have been translated into numerous languages, made into film and won countless awards. Some songs, such as "The Music of the Night" and "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" became hit singles sung by successful recording artists. Barbara Streisand, Madonna and Sarah Brightman are just some of the world famous recording artists that have recorded his songs.  
4. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Even people who don't watch opera or ballet have probably heard music composed by Tchaikovsky. Certain editions of the video game "Tetris" features Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," from the ballet "The Nutcracker." "The Nutcracker" is a rite of passage for plenty of families every holiday period. Other famous ballets featuring music composed by Tchaikovsky include "Swan Lake" and "The Sleeping Beauty." 
5. David Foster David Foster has composed some of the most popular songs of the 20th century and continues to make hits today. He's most famous for producing hit records for artists such as Barbara Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Additionally, he has a knack for managing emerging talent, the list of which include Josh Groban and Michael Buble. Yet, he is also a composer. He composed the score to the movie "St. Elmo's Fire," the official song for the 1996 Summer Olympics and the theme song for the 1988 Winter Olympics.