Thirtieth anniversary of Olivier Messiaen’s death
Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of French composer Olivier Messiaen. Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Olivier Messiaen (Avignon, 10 December 1908-Paris, 27 April 1992). He was one of the most important, influential and personal French composers of the 20th century, in whose work…
Composer and artist Hermann Nitsch is dead
Composer Hermann Nitsch, the best known representative of Viennese Actionism, has died. The international art world was shocked to learn of the death of Austrian action artist, painter and composer Hermann Nitsch on Easter Monday. Nitsch was one of the most controversial and influential artists of recent decades. Along with…
The British composer Harrison Birtwistle dies
British composer Harrison Birtwistle dies. Harrison Birtwistle, creator of an advanced music that did not belong to any school and who was considered one of the greatest contemporary British composers, has died at the age of 87. The publisher of Birtwistle’s works, Boosey & Hawkes, announced that the composer died…
Belgian composer Phillipe Boesmans passes away
Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans, known for his operas for La Monnaie, passes away. The Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans died in Brussels on 10 April at the age of 85. Born in Tongern on 17 May 1936, he first became known in his country as a pianist with the Musiques Nouvelles…
South African composer Mira Calix passes away
South African sound art and electronic music composer Mira Calix dies of unknown causes. Electronic music composer and producer Mira Calix, one of the most respected figures on the European scene, died on Monday, according to her record label, Warp Records, which did not disclose the cause of death. Born…
Ian McDonald, founder of King Crimson, dies
Ian McDonald, one of the founders of King Crimson, passes away. The music world has been mourning the loss of a legend since the day before yesterday: Ian McDonald, one of the founders of King Crimson (and, years later, Foreigner) died of cancer on Wednesday, his son Max announced on…
George Crumb is dead
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Crumb dies at his home in Pennsylvania at 92. George Crumb, a composer who drew inspiration from the traditions of Asia and his native Appalachia to create music of astonishing impact, died on Sunday at his home in Media, Pennsylvania, his record label Bridge Records announced…
Paavo Heininen
Finnish composer Paavo Heininen dies. Finnish composer Paavo Heininen died on 18 January in Järvenpää at the age of 84. He was considered one of Finland‘s foremost contemporary composers. Heininen, born in Helsinki on 13 January 1938, was the last pupil of Aare Merikanto. Heininen received further training in Cologne…
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Lucier dies at the age of 90. Mary Lucier posted just over an hour ago on her Facebook account the death of her ex-husband, Alvin Lucier, at the age of ninety. A composer of experimental music and sound art, he focused on the study of acoustic phenomena and auditory…
Gordon Crosse
English composer Gordon Crosse passes away. The English composer Gordon Crosse (Bury, 1937-Suffolk, 2021) died on 21 November at the age of 83. The starting point of his work was, like that of many of his contemporaries, serialism and dodecaphonic music, particularly Webern, which he combined (like Maxwell Davies) with…
Mario Lavista
Mexican composer Mario Lavista dies. The Mexican composer Mario Lavista (Mexico D. F., 1943-Ciudad de México, 2021), one of the most outstanding contemporary Hispanic artists, has died at the age of 78. Although he began his studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico D. F., his work offered…
Udo Zimmermann
Udo Zimmermann dies at the age of 78. German composer and opera conductor Udo Zimmermann died on Friday night in his native Dresden at the age of 78. He had been suffering for years from a rare neurodegenerative disease that prevented him from composing. In 1974, Zimmermann founded the Studio…