Unconscious bursts of creativity that engender significant artistic endeavors are not necessarily inspired by passionate romantic love alone. Greek mythology believed that this kind of stimulus came from nine muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. Muses were long considered the source of knowledge embodied in poetry, lyric songs and ancient myths. Throughout the history of Western art, artists, writers and musicians have prayed to the muses, or alternately, drawn inspiration from personified muses that conceptually reside beyond the borders of earthly love. True to life, however, composer inspiration has emerged from the entire spectrums of existence and being. Nature has always played a decidedly important role in the inspiration of various classical composers, as did exotic cities, landscapes or rituals. Composer inspiration is also found in poetry, the visual arts, and mythological stories and tales. Artistic, historical or cultural expressions of the past are just as inspirational as is the everyday: the third Punic War or the contrapuntal mastery of Bach is inspirationally just as relevant as are the virulent bat and camel. Composer inspiration is delightfully drawn from heroes and villains, scientific advances, a pet, or something as mundane as a hangover. Discover what fires the imagination of people who never stop asking questions.
Franz Liszt was one of the most powerful musical connectors of the nineteenth century. As a virtuoso pianist, composer, teacher, conductor, and tireless advocate for others’ music, he stood at the center of an international network of composers who admired
Vietnamese composer Ky Nam Nguyen (b. 1996) was awarded her Doctor of Music from Florida State University and writes compositions that explore the impact of music and the arts on society. Nguyen’s 2022 work for solo organ, So That Adventuring
Spanish composer and pianist Gustavo Díaz-Jerez (b. 1970) takes his dual role of composer and performer seriously. In discussing it, he draws parallels with the great composers/performers of the past and says that ‘each blank page reveals a new space…to
It all started with a guitar piece, Astro Cats, in 1992. Composed for Jim Holtz, the Astro Cat miniatures, depicting 12 cats in 12 minutes, only had the zodiac animal names. He left it to the listener to decide on
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) traveled to England and Scotland in 1829, and that visit was important for his musical writing, as it was the source for not only his Third Symphony but also for The Hebrides Overture, despite them being written
As a mythological character, Hercules is one who has always captured our attention. Famed for his strength and for his adventures around the known world, he’s caught the attention of writers and musicians for centuries. The stories and feats of
In the long 19th century, when one’s drawing room was the performance venue of greatest popularity, musicians were desperate for material. If you were a virtuoso pianist, then your repertoire was expansive. If you were an amateur player on the
Dutch trombonist, conductor, and composer Johan de Meij (b. 1953) made his international name in 1988 with his first symphony, The Lord of the Rings. Since then, he had gone on to become a noted composer for wind orchestra. In
