# Oldest living classical composer



## Roger Knox

As we approach the end of 2019, I've been thinking about our elders in the field of composition. 

The oldest living classical composer I know of is Ned Rorem (b. 1923). Born in 1926 are Gyorgy Kurtag (Hungary), Friedrich Cerha (Austria), and Carlisle Floyd (USA). Canadian composer John Beckwith was born in 1927, while Canadian jazz and Third Stream composer Phil Nimmons was born in 1923, a bit before Rorem. Any others?


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## elgar's ghost

Funnily enough I was wondering about this very thing about a month ago. I immediately thought of Ned Rorem because I was playing his music at the time - I can't think of anyone older.


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## Art Rock

Juan Antonio Orrego Salas (born January 18, 1919) is a Chilean-American composer of contemporary classical music and musicologist (Wiki).


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## joen_cph

Chou Wen Chong (1923), apparently a fine and interesting composer of Chinese/US background, died just a week ago.


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## starthrower

Elliott Carter is now decomposing but he lived to be 103. Gubaidulina, who is still active is 88.


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## Roger Knox

Chou Wen-Chung was a student and noted follower of Varese.


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## Roger Knox

Art Rock said:


> Juan Antonio Orrego Salas (born January 18, 1919) is a Chilean-American composer of contemporary classical music and musicologist (Wiki).


Wow, a centenarian!


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## Roger Knox

U.S.-based Scottish composer Thea Musgrave is 91.


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## joen_cph

Roger Knox said:


> Chou Wen-Chung was a student and noted follower of Varese.


I listened to samples of his work, and it's very diverse, includes reminiscences of folk music without being too sugary or pastiche-like; the string quartets (3) seem to be more normal, 20th-century, mildly modernist stuff (say maybe a la Ginastera), with hints of exoticism, at least from some superficial hearing. I'll be getting them some time.


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## starthrower

Roger Knox said:


> U.S.-based Scottish composer Thea Musgrave is 91.


Wow! I had no idea. I love her Turbulent Landscapes CD.


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## Roger Knox

Art Rock said:


> Juan Antonio Orrego Salas (born January 18, 1919) is a Chilean-American composer of contemporary classical music and musicologist (Wiki).


Orrego Salas was on the composition faculty at Indiana University where I studied in the mid-1970's. His wife was a very nice woman who worked at the Latin-American Music Center there. But I never met Orrego Salas, and believe he was on leave at least part of the time I was there. I heard the premiere of his oratorio _The Days of God_, which did not leave a distinctive impression. It seems he is a very productive man, careful and effective in his career achievements, and I'd like to know more about him.


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## Prodromides

Swiss composer Julien-François Zbinden (born 1917) is currently age 102.


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## Highwayman

Turkish experimental composer İlhan Usmanbaş (b. 1921) has completed his 98th age last month.


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## joen_cph

Prodromides said:


> Swiss composer Julien-François Zbinden (born 1917) is currently age 102.


I once had a CD of his piano music ...


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## Krummhorn

Cecilia_Seghizzi, Italian composer - died today at age 111.


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## Roger Knox

Krummhorn said:


> Cecilia_Seghizzi, Italian composer - died today at age 111.


RIP Cecilia Seghizzi 1908-2019


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