List of notable or famous composers from Italy, with bios and photos, including the top composers born in Italy and even some popular composers who immigrated to Italy. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Italian composers then this list is the perfect resource for you. These composers are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known composer from Italy is included when available.
List is made up of a variety of people, including Joe Satriani and Jean-Baptiste Lully.
This historic composers from Italy list can help answer the questions "Who are some Italian composers of note?" and "Who are the most famous composers from Italy?" These prominent composers of Italy may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Italian composers.
Use this list of renowned Italian composers to discover some new composers that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}...more
1
Gioacchino Rossini
Dec. at 76 (1792-1868)Birthplace: Pesaro, Italy
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and... more2
Ennio Morricone
Age: 91Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Ennio Morricone (November 10, 1928 – July 6, 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player who wrote music in a wide range of styles. Morricone composed over 400 scores... more- 3
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Dec. at 55 (1632-1687)Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Jean-Baptiste Lully (UK: , US: ; French: [ʒɑ̃ baˈtist lyˈli]; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, Italian: [ˈlulli]; 28 November [O.S. 18 November] 1632– 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer,... more - 4
Luciano Berio
Dec. at 78 (1925-2003)Birthplace: Oneglia
Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition Sinfonia and his... more - 5
Ferruccio Busoni
Dec. at 58 (1866-1924)Birthplace: Empoli, Italy
Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of... more - 6
Muzio Clementi
Dec. at 80 (1752-1832)Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian-born English composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano... more - 7
Claudio Monteverdi
Dec. at 76 (1567-1643)Birthplace: Cremona, Italy
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (, also US: , Italian: [ˈklaudjo monteˈverdi] (listen); baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, string player and choirmaster. A composer... more - 8
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Dec. at 26 (1710-1736)Birthplace: Iesi, Italy
Giovanni Battista Draghi (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni batˈtista ˈdraːɡi]; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), often referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Italian: [perɡoˈleːzi;... more - 9
Luigi Boccherini
Dec. at 62 (1743-1805)Birthplace: Lucca, Italy
Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini (, also US: , Italian: [riˈdɔlfo luˈiːdʒi bokkeˈriːni] (listen); February 19, 1743 – May 28, 1805) was an Italian composer and cellist of the Classical era whose music... more - 10
Ottorino Respighi
Dec. at 57 (1879-1936)Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
Ottorino Respighi ( reh-SPEE-ghee, also US: rə-, Italian: [ottoˈriːno reˈspiːɡi]; 9 July 1879 – 18 April 1936) was an Italian violinist, composer and musicologist, best known for his trilogy of... more - 11
Giacomo Puccini
Dec. at 66 (1858-1924)Birthplace: Lucca, Italy
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (UK: puu-CHEE-nee, US: poo-, Italian: [ˈdʒaːkomo putˈtʃiːni]; 22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian opera composer who has been... more - 12
Domenico Scarlatti
Dec. at 72 (1685-1757)Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (Naples, 26 October 1685 – Madrid, 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was... more - 13
Tomaso Albinoni
Dec. at 80 (1671-1751)Birthplace: Venice, Scorzè, Italy
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian Baroque composer. While famous in his day as an opera composer, he is known today for his instrumental music, especially his... more - 14
Bud Spencer
Age: 90Birthplace: Borgo Santa Lucia
Carlo Pedersoli (October 31, 1929 – June 27, 2016), known professionally as Bud Spencer, was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and Spaghetti... more - 15
Jerry Gray
Dec. at 61 (1915-1976)Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Jerry Gray (July 3, 1915 – August 10, 1976) was an American violinist, arranger, composer, and leader of swing dance orchestras (big bands) bearing his name. He is widely known for his work with... more - 16
Bill Conti
Age: 78Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island
William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor best known for his film scores, including Rocky (and four of its sequels), Karate Kid (and all of its sequels), For Your Eyes... more - 17
Sylvano Bussotti
Age: 89Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Sylvano Bussotti (born 1 October 1931) is an Italian composer of contemporary music whose work is unusually notated and often creates special problems of interpretation.... more - 18
Joe Satriani
Age: 64Birthplace: Westbury, New York, United States of America
Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956) is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former... more - 19
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Dec. at 69 (1525-1594)Birthplace: Palestrina, Italy
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525 – 2 February 1594) was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical... more - 20
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Dec. at 55 (1946-2001)Birthplace: Venice, Scorzè, Italy
Giuseppe Sinopoli (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe siˈnɔːpoli]; 2 November 1946 – 20 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer.... more - 21
Vincenzo Bellini
Dec. at 34 (1801-1835)Birthplace: Catania, Italy
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (Italian: [vinˈtʃɛntso salvaˈtoːre karˈmɛːlo franˈtʃesko belˈliːni] (listen); 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was an Italian opera composer, who was... more 
22Rinaldo di Capua
Dec. at 75 (1705-1780)Birthplace: Capua, Italy
Rinaldo di (da) Capua (Capua, c. 1705 – probably Rome, c. 1780) was an Italian composer. Little is known of him with any certainty, including his name, although he was known to Charles Burney. He... more- 23
Giovanni Battista Draghi
Dec. at 68 (1640-1708)Birthplace: Rimini, Italy
Giovanni Battista Draghi was an Anglo-Italian composer and keyboard player. He may have been the brother of the composer Antonio Draghi. Draghi was brought to London in the 1660s by King Charles II... more - 24
Pietro Mascagni
Dec. at 82 (1863-1945)Birthplace: Livorno, Italy
Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera... more - 25
Giovanni Salvatore
Dec. at 68 (1620-1688)Birthplace: Castelvenere, Italy
Giovanni Salvatore (ca.1620–ca.1688) was a Neapolitan composer and organist.Salvatore was born in Castelvenere. He is thought to have studied under Giovanni Maria Sabino and Erasmo di Bartolo at the... more
