# Top 25 Composers, 21st Century



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Now this is where it gets interesting!

Each composer must have published at least one piece of music since January 1, 2000


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I know a list of this sort is actually very helpful if someone is trying to explore the contemporary music scene for the first time. About 15 years ago I searched all over the internet for lists of contemporary composers. Anything I found, I would explore.

If you all have time, maybe making a list of "favorites" and a list of "critically acclaimed" would be valuable, or even blend the two.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

In alphabetical order:

Adams, John
Adams, John Luther
Andriessen, Louis
Cerrone, Christopher
Crumb, George
Dennehy, Donnacha
Dove, Jonathan
Fairouz, Mohammed
Glass, Philip
Gordon, Michael
Lang, David
MacMillan, James
Monk, Meredith
Moore, Kate
Nørgård, Per
Nyman, Michael
Pärt, Arvo
Reich, Steve
Richter, Max
Roth, Alec
Sculthorpe, Peter
Shaw, Caroline
Vasks, Peteris
Vierk, Lios V
Wolfe, Julia


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

In alphabetical order:

Adams, John
Adams, John Luther
Aho, Kalevi
Corigliano, John
Crumb, George
Dennehy, Donnacha
Glass, Philip
Gorecki, Henryk
Gubaidulina, Sofia
MacMillan, James
Pärt, Arvo
Rautavaara, Einojuhani 
Reich, Steve
Rihm, Wolfgang
Saariaho, Kaija 
Sallinen, Aulis
Sculthorpe, Peter
Sheng, Bright
Vasks, Peteris

I keep half a dozen places open, because I'm sure I'm forgetting to include a number of composers in this impromptu list.

Add:
Chin, Unsuk
Davies, Peter Maxwell
Rouse, Christopher
Silvestrov, Valentin


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

Using the same format:

Abrahamsen, Hans
Adams, John Luther
Aperghis, Georges
Bertrand, Christophe
Billone, Pierluigi
Carter, Elliott
Chin, Unsuk
Dennehy, Donnacha
Eötvös, Péter
Fujikura, Dai
Furrer, Beat
Glass, Philip
Gubaidulina, Sofia
Haas, Georg Friedrich
Harvey, Jonathan
Hosokawa, Toshio
Kurtág, György
Murail, Tristan
Posadas, Alberto
Richter, Max
Romitelli, Fausto
Saariaho, Kaija
Steen-Andersen, Simon
Vasks, Pēteris
Wolfe, Julia


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

Abrahamsen, Hans
Adams, John
Andre, Mark
Berio, Luciano
Boulez, Pierre
Chin, Unsuk
Corigliano, John
Dalbavie, Marc-Andre
Dusapin, Pascal
Glass, Philip
Gorecki, Henryk
Gubaidulina, Sofia
Kurtag, Gyorgy
Ligeti, Gyorgy
Murail, Tristan
Norgard, Per
Reich, Steve
Rihm, Wolfgang
Saariaho, Kaija
Salonen, Esa-Pekka
Silvestrov, Valentin
Stockhausen, Karlheinz
Szymanski, Pawel
Thorvaldsdottir, Anna
Wolfe, Julia


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Personally, I would add Jennifer Higdon.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Alphabetical:

*Abrahmasen, Hans
Adams, John
Adès, Thomas
Anderson, Julian
Andriessen, Louis
Boulez, Pierre
Carter, Elliott
Chin, Unsuk
Corigliano, John
Dutilleux, Henri
Ferneyhough, Brian
Furrer, Beat
Glass, Philip
Gubaidulina, Sofia
Lindberg, Magnus
Macmillan, James
Maslanka, David
Murail, Tristan
Pärt, Arvo
Rautavaara, Einojuhani 
Reich, Steve
Rihm, Wolfgang
Ruders, Poul
Van der Aa, Michel
Zwillich, Ellen Taafe*

Worth Considering:
Barrett, Richard
Bates, Mason
Birtwistle, Harrison
Czernowin, Chaya
Dennehy, Donnacha
Dillon, James
Eötvös, Peter 
Finnissy, Michael
Golijov, Osvaldo
Haas, Georg Friedrich
Higdon, Jennifer
Kernis, Aaron
Kurtág, György 
Lachenmann, Helmut
Lang, David
Liebermann, Lowell
Matthusen, Paula
Muhly, Nico
Penderecki, Krzysztof 
Richter, Max
Rouse, Christopher
Saariaho, Kaija
Salonen, Essa-Pekka
Sciarrino, Salvatore
Tan Dun
Tower, Joan
Weir, Judith
Whitacre, Eric
+dozens others I'm forgetting

And I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of most of the music of the past almost-20 years.


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