Born: February 23, 1685, Halle, Germany
Died: April 14, 1759, London, United Kingdom

George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer. He was born in and grew up in Germany, but worked in London for most of his career. He is well-known for his oratorios, operas, anthem and organ concertos. The ‘Hallelujah’ chorus from the oratorio, ‘Messiah’ together with the Christmas carol ‘Joy to the World’ are among his most recognized pieces.

Music Sheets:

1. Hallelujah
2. Joy To The World

Duke Ellington was an American pianist, composer and bandleader of jazz orchestras. He is widely seen as being a pivotal figure in the history of jazz. Frequently working with other musicians, he wrote more than a thousand compositions. Many of his works have become standards including ‘Take the ‘A’ Train’, ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing’, ‘Satin Doll’ and ‘Caravan’.

Music Sheets:

1. Two Tunes from the Duke

Born: March 25, 1881, Sânnicolau Mare, Romania
Died: September 26, 1945, New York City, New York, United States

Bartok was a Hungarian pianist and composer. He is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and he is also one of the founders of ethnomusicology. Among his best known works are Mikrokosmos, Romanian Folk Dances, Concerto for Orchestra and Bluebeard’s Castle.

Music Sheets:

1. Children’s Song
2. Romanian Folk Dance No. 2

Music Sheets:

1.  Three Keyboard Riffs from ABBA

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician – he played the violin, organ and harpsichord.  He is probably the best known of the Baroque composers, noted for his brilliance in harmony, counterpoint and using motifs.  Indeed, many of his works are ubiquitous up till today, including The Christmas Oratorio, the Prelude and Fugue in C Major and the Air on the G String.

Music Sheets:

1. Musette

2. Air On The G String (Very Easy)

Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and instrumentalist (he played the piano, flute and piccolo). He is famous for having composed the theme music for many films and TV shows.  In particular, he is remembered for introducing jazz elements in traditional orchestral arrangements, as exemplified in his best known work, The Pink Panther Theme.

Music Sheets:

1. Three Riffs

Born:  March 1, 1810, Żelazowa Wola, Poland
Died: October 17, 1849,  Paris, France

Frederic Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist who lived during the Romantic period.  Considered the ‘poet of the piano’, he created probably the most beautiful melodies for the instrument. He composed more than 200 works, most of them for solo piano.

Music Sheets:

1. Fantaisie Impromptu

John Lennon (born 9 October 1940, died 8 December 1980) and Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) were the main composers for the English rock band, The Beatles. Their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history. Between 1962 and 1969, they wrote and published 180 songs, mostly for their band.

Music Sheets:

1. Yellow Submarine

Born: December 17, 1770, Bonn, Germany
Died: March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austra

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist.  He is one of the most famous persons in classical music.  Among his best known works are his piano compositions like Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata, and his symphonies like the Symphony No. 9 which has the famous Ode to Joy.

Music Sheets:

1.  Fur Elise Par 1 in 3-4 time

2.  Ode to Joy (Easy)

Born: February 8, 1932, New York, USA

John Williams is an American composer, conductor and pianist. He is famous for having composed the music for 99 films. The most well-known of his film scores are for: Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Music Sheets

1. Three Themes

Felix Mendelssohn was probably the second greatest prodigy in classical music after Mozart.  He wrote 12 string symphonies while still in his early teens and he was one of the most popular composers of the Romantic period.  Among his most well-known works are his music for ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ (from which the Wedding March comes from), the series of ‘Songs Without Words’ for piano, and the Christmas carol, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. We also have to thank Mendelssohn for reviving interest in the music of the great J. S. Bach.  He actively performed and promoted works by Bach and was responsible for erecting a memorial to Bach in Leipzig, Germany.

Music Sheets:

1.  Wedding March (Accompaniment)

2.  Wedding March (Easy)

Born: October 10, 1813, Le Roncole, Italy

Died: January 27, 1901, Milan, Italy

Famous Compositions: 

La traviata, Rigoletto, Aida  

Music Sheets:

1.  Themes from Verdi’s Operas (Beginner)

2.  La Donna E Mobile (Elemenrary)