most famous contemporary composers

Who do you think are the three most famous contemporary composers, under the age of 40? I was discussing this with my teacher and I'm wandering what you all think about this 'problem'. Let me know!

Nico Muhly, Thomas Ades and Jay Greenberg are fairly well-known.

Derek Bermel (though I think he's like 43, so that doesn't count I guess. :( )

Anna Clyne

A couple more:

Eric Whitacre, of course

Olga Neuwirth just misses the mark at 41

Uh... well, Lera Auerbach is 'young', but I dunno about her being popular. How old are those guys/gals in Bang on a Can? Prolly too old ...

...or, you can check this wiki page:

List of 20th-century classical composers by birth date - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's wiki, so it's prolly not comprehensive, but it's a start ...

The problem with the Wikipedia page is that it gives no indication whatsoever what this list is based on (except: "Only composers of significant fame and importance are included." - which means nothing if not explained further). By all we know, we have to assume that it's just a random collection of names some people on the internet found "important" on a personal basis and added them there. Many people named there, for example, may indeed be rather famous, but in some cases not really for composing (Fazil Say etc.).

At least in this thread we can make some deductions based on who names what people and possibly what arguments they provide for it alongside.

Auerbach is more well known for being a pianist than a composer, I think. Which doesn't stop her from being a badass.

Is it bad that I recognize precisely two of the aforementioned names?

It's weird how "popularity" and "importance" within one niche, has no bearing or relevance to anyone not immersed in that genre.

Let me try it in reverse....

I can't include Maria Schneider, or Dave Douglas (over 40)... how about Darcy James Argue? Kurt Rosenwinkel? Joshua Redman? Brad Mehldau? Florian Ross?

So someone is going to answer your question with the truth, and then a whole bunch of people are going to try and explain how they aren't composers.

Because, it always seems like people think that just because someone writes simple popular music it means they're not a real composer.

I can't know what Jay Greenberg's process is. But if he writes without sketching, I'd argue that he's either an improviser or a synthesizer (as Mozart ostensibly was). What I hear in his music is an extremely good synthesis of Prokofiev and Shostakovich plus a few others. If he sketches and revises, then to me, he's just as much of a composer as anyone else; my personal definition of a composer isn't based on the sound of the music he makes.

And Thomas Ades is the scraggy, BTW.

There aren't any, really. Eric Whitacre. I checked Klaus Badelt on wiki and he barely squeezes by at 40. If we bumped up the age limit to 50 or 60 there'd be more possibilities, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman etc.

Why can't the definition of a composer be as simple as someone who writes music?

Why can't the definition of a composer be as simple as someone who writes music?

I would think because anyone can do that.

Those who do it well are the composers. :)

Ahh... composer elitism. lol. Gotta love it! But, I think the same way. *whistles*

Why can't the definition of a composer be as simple as someone who writes music?

That's what it is, lolol.

Chad Kroeger.

Michael Hersch, Angel Lam.. anyone under 40 on the Carnegie Hall commission page.

Britney Spears; would say Michael Jackson but I think he was older than 40.

Britney Spears; would say Michael Jackson but I think he was older than 40.

*wonders if that was a joke*

:O

I have no clue about how much Britney Spears actually composes, but I'd guess that primarily (like many names on that Wikipedia list), she's known as a performer, not a composer.

But I guess that depends on how you interpret the title. Does it mean "the most famous people who compose", or "the people who are most famous for composing"?

John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls)

Fergie (Black Eyed Peas)

Chad Kroeger (Nickelback)

At leasst within the last decade or so.

John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls)

Fergie (Black Eyed Peas)

Chad Kroeger (Nickelback)

At leasst within the last decade or so.

I wouldn't really call Chad a "composer" seeing as how he doesn't write the songs entirely himself and, by Dark Horse, he really wasn't writing anything at all. But sure, he's famous...

Band dynamic is a whole other issue of contemporary composers. Is it Miles or WAyne Shorter who wrote that tune? [ok, bad example, but you catch my meaning]

I actually wanted to post Chad Kroeger. I'm fascinated that y'all don't see composers every day... And that's part of "the new thing" -- the breakdown of classical and folk, of commercial and "for the love of the game...." It doesn't matter.

Here's something contributory: Open Ears Music

Check Ubuweb, too. They have contemporary composers from all around the world, some of whom I've seen cross-referenced somewhere else...

Britney Spears....

Britney didn't write anything...she's little more than a puppet. The true craftsmen are her team of Swedish songwriters - headed by Martin "Max Martin" Sandberg ; he was the compositional mastermind behind a slew of hits for Britney, *NSync, Backstreet Boys,...more recently Pink, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson....

Very few of those "artists" actually have anything to do with the actual compositional process.

:whistling:

I'd venture to say that the boys of Radiohead are at the top of the under-40 compositional pile - in ANY genre.

I agree, having radio heads does make for good composers...or good computers.