Hey Kids, Meet the Composer Biographies and Free Printables - MakingMusicFun.net

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Bach was a master of "musical puzzles" and the father of 20 kids! He wrote big hits for the organ and orchestra, but he once got thrown in jail just for trying to switch jobs.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759): Handel was a Baroque Era superstar! His most memorable work is the Messiah. When the king heard the "Hallelujah Chorus," he rose to his feet in excitement!

Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706): Pachelbel was a master organist and a close friend of the Bach family. His biggest hit is his Canon in D — one of the most popular pieces ever written.

Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677): An Italian master composer, Strozzi published more secular vocal music than any other composer in 17th-century Venice.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741): Known as "The Red Priest," Vivaldi was a violin virtuoso. He taught music at an orphanage and wrote his famous "Four Seasons" to capture the joy of nature.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Beethoven was a musical giant who didn't let deafness stop him! By the time he wrote his 9th Symphony, he couldn’t hear a single note. He relied on his "inner ear" and his understanding of music theory.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): The "Father of the Symphony" loved musical jokes. In his Surprise Symphony, he added a loud bang just to wake up sleepy audience members!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Mozart was a wonder kid! By age four, he was already composing and touring Europe. He wrote over 600 masterpieces in his short life.

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Brahms is one of the "Three Bs" with Bach and Beethoven. His hits include Lullaby and his Hungarian Dances. He was even one of the first composers to record his music!

Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944): Chaminade's Scarf Dance sold over five million copies! She was also the first female composer to receive the French Legion of Honor.

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): Known as the "Piano Poet," Chopin wrote almost exclusively for the piano. He is world-famous for his Nocturnes and Polonaises.

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904): A Czech composer whose big hit was Symphony No. 9 "From the New World," inspired by the sights and sounds of the United States.

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907): Grieg gave Norway its own musical sound. You'll definitely recognize his sneaky and mysterious "In the Hall of the Mountain King!"

Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881): Mussorgsky turned art into a musical adventure! His famous "Pictures at an Exhibition" takes you on a musical walk through a gallery, using sound to describe ten different paintings.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908): Rimsky-Korsakov was a master of orchestration—which is the art of picking the perfect instrument to play each part of a piece. His big hits include Flight of the Bumblebee and Scheherazade.

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868): Rossini wrote 36 operas. A melody from his William Tell Overture became the theme for the Lone Ranger TV show (1949-1957)!

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921): A child prodigy who read at age three! He wrote The Carnival of the Animals as a joke, but it became one of his greatest hits.

Clara Schumann (1819–1896): Schumann was one of the most distinguished pianists and composers of the Romantic Era. Germany even featured her on their 100 Deutsche Mark bill.

Johann Strauss II (1825–1899): Strauss was nicknamed the "Waltz King." One of his big hits was The Blue Danube.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893): Tchaikovsky became a legend despite being told he had no talent! He composed The Nutcracker and the 1812 Overture.

Richard Wagner (1813–1883): An opera revolutionary who pushed Harmony to its limits. He even built his own theater for his massive Ring Cycle.

Claude Debussy (1862–1918): Debussy, the master of Impressionism, created "colors" in music. One of his big hits is Clair de Lune.

Lili Boulanger (1893–1918): At just 19, Lili made history as the first woman to win the Prix de Rome. She was a brilliant composer who never let poor health slow her down.

Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990): Bernstein blended Broadway and classical music styles for his hit musical, West Side Story.

Aaron Copland (1900–1990): Copland was called the voice of the "American Sound." He won the Purlitzer Prize for his music for the ballet, Appalachian Spring.

Duke Ellington (1899–1974): Nicknamed "Duke" for his sophisticated style, Ellington changed jazz forever as a legendary band leader and composer.

George Gershwin (1898–1937): Gershwin fused jazz and classical music together to create his masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue.

Scott Joplin (1868–1917): The "King of Ragtime" used syncopated rhythms in big hits like The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag.

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904–1987): Kabalevsky was dedicated to writing children's music. His Children's Pieces for Piano are still popular today.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953): Prokofiev was a master storyteller! In Peter and the Wolf, he gave every character their own instrument and melody. By matching sounds to personalities—like a chirping flute for the bird—he created the ultimate guide to the orchestra.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975): Shostakovich used powerful dynamics—the mix of very loud and very soft sounds—to create heart-pounding tension. His Symphony No. 5 feels like a thrilling movie score.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948–present): A superstar in the musical theater world, Webber composed music for the record-breaking shows The Phantom of the Opera and Cats

John Williams (1932–present): From Star Wars to Harry Potter, Williams’ music has made bicycles fly and dinosaurs walk! With 54 Oscar nominations and five wins, he has made an unforgettable mark on music.