A New Dictionary of Composers

Compiled by Len Rhodes, this Composer Dictionary is the result of many years of researching the dates and nationalities of composers in the serious music genre. Listing the composers both chronologically, and also in a separate alphabetical listing, enables the reader to access the information quickly. Every attempt has been made at the time of printing to establish the accuracy of the listings. My goal in compiling this listing is to provide a complete, accurate and easy reference regarding the timelines, dates and nationalities of more than the 4,200 composers included. With regard to the 'nationalities' of the composers, I determined their country of birth to be the conclusive factor. A great many composers made their reputations elsewhere; however, I feel it is important to identify, where reliable sources are available, the composer's actual country of origin. I have chosen to represent "composers" rather than "songwriters" - although Schubert, for example, and many others would fall into both categories - therefore contemporary songwriters, e.g. John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and many others, are not included at the present time. Len Rhodes