“African Suite” by Fela Sowande

“Fela Sowande is undoubtedly the father of modern Nigerian Art Music and perhaps the most distinguished and internationally known African composer. The most significant pioneer-composer of works in the European classical idiom, his works mark the beginning of an era of modern Nigerian Art Music,” writes Bode Omojola, Ph.D., in his 1995 book, “Nigerian Art

Charles Ives’ Symphony No. 4

American Charles Ives was playing organ in church services at age 12 and composing at 13. His musician father taught him to improvise simultaneously in multiple keys as a boy. Ives developed possibly the most experimental style in American compositional history. While a student at Yale, his roommates called his working on his Piano Sonata

William Walton’s Symphony No. 2

England may not be the first country one associates with classical music, but their contribution to it has been significant for centuries. Today they have one of the most vibrant classical music scenes in the world. Magazines and websites proliferate on the subject, the largest classical music festival in the world, the BBC Proms, occurs

Darius Milhaud’s Chamber Symphony No. 5

Along with 12 symphonies, Darius Milhaud also composed 6 chamber symphonies. They are shorter and involve many fewer musicians. The fifth chamber symphony is one of the earliest pieces I had the opportunity to perform while pursuing my master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Though dissonant and rough, I found the piece charming.

Arvo Pärt’s Symphony No. 4

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is one of the most significant figures in contemporary classical music. Up until 1968, Pärt was well-known in Estonia for his edgy, dissonant, modernist compositions. From 1968 to 1976, Pärt studied medieval music-an influence that is evident in what was to become his singular and enduring style. Since 1976, this style

Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 9

Legendary American composer Philip Glass has collaborated with numerous musicians of varying styles, including world-renowned sitarist Ravi Shankar, famous rock musician David Bowie, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. His bio on his website states, “Glass is the first composer to win a wide, multi-generational audience in the opera house, the concert hall, the dance world, in

David Diamond’s Symphony No. 8

David Diamond is another one of the posthumously neglected American 20th century composers. He was once head of the composition department at the Manhattan School of Music as well as a composition professor at The Juilliard School. He was awarded the William Schuman Lifetime Achievement Award, the Gold Medal of the American Academy of Arts

George Walker’s Sinfonia No. 4 “Strands”

George Walker was the first black student to graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music, the first to receive a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music; the first black instrumentalist to solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the first black faculty member of Smith College to receive tenure. He was the first black person

William Schuman’s Symphony No. 7

The name of William Schuman belongs in the list of most significant 20th century American musicians. He served as president of the Juilliard School from 1945 to 1961, creating the now famous Juilliard String Quartet while he was there. He was given the first ever Pulitzer Prize in music in 1943, was president of the

Witold Lutoslawski’s Symphony No. 2

Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski lived in the communist Soviet Union, having to temper his musical wishes to the governing authorities’ control of musical style and purpose. Often this meant composers following a modern trajectory (straying increasingly further from traditional harmony and melody) had to balance traditional sounds into their works. Lutoslawski did this successfully (like