Five LGBTQ Composers to Add to Your Essential Repertoire

Written by Elena Aponte & Shruthi Kattumenu

Join us in celebration of Pride Month as we reflect on the legacy of strength and creativity that these five trailblazing composers have given the classical music community. Their individual contributions to the development of the genre have memorialized their impact in both the western classical music and LGBTQ+ spheres, and we look at them with admiration for living a fully authentic life. Let’s take a deeper look at some of their life highlights and most famous works that span from the seventeenth century to the modern day.

1. Jean-Baptiste Lully (born Giovanni Battista Lulli) 1632 –1687

Lully is credited with the establishment of French Overture, using his background as a dancer and violinist to capture the emotional and physical nature of music in his compositions in the Baroque era. Born an Italian, he was naturalized as a French citizen after King Louis XIV put him in charge of the royal violin orchestra. This allowed Lully to experiment with his compositions in which he composed opera, accompaniment to numerous French ballets, and sacred hymnal-style orchestra music for the church. His brazen experimentation, sense of self, and commitment to his craft made him a natural aristocrat.

 

2. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840—1893)

A Russian composer, Tchaikovsky is one of the most influential composers of all time, as well as one of the most prolific. Growing up, he attended law school and became a civil servant for a brief period before devoting his life to music. At the beginning of his career as a composer, he was often accused of incorporating too many Western ideas into his music, but he eventually was given credit for acting as a bridge between Russia and the rest of Europe. Tchaikovsky’s music is known for its lush orchestration and passionate, melodic themes. His ballet works remain some of the most performed music to date.

 

3. Samuel Barber (1910—1981)

Samuel Barber was one of the leading American composers of the 20^th century and is best known for his Adagio for Strings, one of the most performed and recognized string orchestra works. A child prodigy, he began composing at the age of seven, and attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia for nine years to study voice, piano, and composition. After the US entered World War II, Barber joined the Army Air Corps, where he was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to write a cello concerto and second symphony.

4. Leonard Bernstein (1918—1990)

An American conductor, composer, and pianist, Leonard Bernstein was one of the most accomplished musicians of his time. Bernstein was the music director of the New York Philharmonic and was the host of the nationally televised Young People’s Concerts, which provided classical music education to children. A lifelong humanitarian, Bernstein was a fierce supporter of civil rights and supported several initiatives advocating for human rights and world peace.

 

5. John Cage (1912—1992)

John Cage was an experimental American composer, writer, and artist, as well as one of the early pioneers of “chance music.” He was known for his works that drew sounds from non-musical objects such as the “prepared piano,” which was essentially a piano with random items wedged between the piano strings to alter the pitch and timbre. Cage’s most famous work is "4’ 33," a four minute and 33 second piece in which the performer does not play, allowing the audience to listen to the ambient sounds around them for that duration of time.

Each of these composers beautifully reflect how classical music has developed over hundreds of years, and how their music speaks to each other over time. If any of these composers interest you, check out the full range of available sheet music at Shar Music’s® library. Leave us a comment to tell us which composer is your favorite and why!