While this guide was made primarily for Music History and Composition students, everyone can benefit from learning about at least a few representative composers from different time periods and countries.
The top boxes are composers that EVERYONE should know. The lower boxes are composers that music students, especially in Composition and Music History, should be familiar with.
For a list of notable film music composers, please visit our Film Music Guide.
This LibGuide focuses mainly on "Classical" composers. A Jazz Guide is also available, which includes jazz composers and performers as well as research assistance.
The various time periods of music history are not clearly defined and there is considerable overlap during every transitional time.
The time periods we have used in this LibGuide are as follows:
Medieval: 500 - 1430
Renaissance: 1430 - 1600
Baroque: 1600 - 1750
Classical: 1750 - 1820
Romantic: 1820 - 1900
Twentieth Century: 1900 - 1975
Contemporary Classical: 1975 -
These time periods reflect when the various composers were primarily active, not their specific birth years.
Librarians can help you learn to make the most of the information resources, tools, and services of Murphy Library and beyond!
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Local history and/or archives research? Special Collections / Area Research Center specialists are available!