The Young Composer

Meet the great composers, learn music theory, and start composing your own music — free interactive tools for young musicians.

Composer Gallery

Thirty composers across five centuries, from Josquin's Renaissance choirs to John Williams' film scores. Click a portrait to step into their world.

Renaissance1400–16004

Portrait of Josquin des Prez
Renaissance

Josquin des Prez

1450–1521
Portrait of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Renaissance

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

1525–1594
Portrait of William Byrd
Renaissance

William Byrd

1543–1623
Portrait of Claudio Monteverdi
Renaissance

Claudio Monteverdi

1567–1643

Baroque1600–17506

Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lully
Baroque

Jean-Baptiste Lully

1632–1687
Portrait of Henry Purcell
Baroque

Henry Purcell

1659–1695
Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi
Baroque

Antonio Vivaldi

1678–1741
Portrait of Jean-Philippe Rameau
Baroque

Jean-Philippe Rameau

1683–1764
Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach
Baroque

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685–1750
Portrait of George Frideric Handel
Baroque

George Frideric Handel

1685–1759

Classical1750–18204

Portrait of Christoph Willibald Gluck
Classical

Christoph Willibald Gluck

1714–1787
Portrait of Joseph Haydn
Classical

Joseph Haydn

1732–1809
Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Classical

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1756–1791
Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven
Classical

Ludwig van Beethoven

1770–1827

Romantic1820–19009

Portrait of Franz Schubert
Romantic

Franz Schubert

1797–1828
Portrait of Felix Mendelssohn
Romantic

Felix Mendelssohn

1809–1847
Portrait of Frédéric Chopin
Romantic

Frédéric Chopin

1810–1849
Portrait of Franz Liszt
Romantic

Franz Liszt

1811–1886
Portrait of Clara Schumann
Romantic

Clara Schumann

1819–1896
Portrait of Johannes Brahms
Romantic

Johannes Brahms

1833–1897
Portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Romantic

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1840–1893
Portrait of Edward Elgar
Romantic

Edward Elgar

1857–1934
Portrait of Gustav Mahler
Romantic

Gustav Mahler

1860–1911

Modern1900–20007

Portrait of Claude Debussy
Modern

Claude Debussy

1862–1918
Portrait of Béla Bartók
Modern

Béla Bartók

1881–1945
Portrait of Igor Stravinsky
Modern

Igor Stravinsky

1882–1971
Portrait of Sergei Prokofiev
Modern

Sergei Prokofiev

1891–1953
Portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich
Modern

Dmitri Shostakovich

1906–1975
Portrait of John Williams
Modern

John Williams

b. 1932
Portrait of Howard Shore
Modern

Howard Shore

b. 1946
🗺️ See them on a map — every composer's birthplace, plotted from Italy to Toronto → 🏆 Think you know them? Play the Maestro Quiz — who composed it, who was alive when, name that tune →

Prefer to browse one era at a time? Try Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Modern.