10 centuries of classical music, Asia (timeline, top 10 composers...)

Magomayev or Hajibeyov? Uchida or Er? It is difficult for inquiring minds to tackle such abundant fields as classical music and opera, covering 10 centuries of history: there are thousands of composers. Making a selection of musicians, such as a “top 10” for example, is a difficult and subjective exercise. A musical selection is often the expression of personal preferences or artistic opinions, very interesting but also very different according to critics or musicologists, or simply influenced by the context: will an English composer not be instinctively privileged by an English critic?

For example: in France, Charles Gounod, a 19th century French composer, is more easily mentioned than the Norwegian Edvard Grieg, who is more recognized in the world.

Timeline of classical music composers in Asia

Whoever wants to discover classical music or opera does not always have an experienced music lover, an expert or an educator at his or her side to support and guide him or her in these fields. So : Magomayev (Soviet-Azerbajiani singer) or Hajibeyov (Azerbaijani composer (1885-1948)) ? Vanessa-Mae (British violinist) or Klemperer (German conductor and composer) ? However, the knowledge available about musicians is enormous. It was processed to select the 10, 25, 50... most popular composers around the world, for those living or having lived en Asia, . And this objectively, and for the first time (soclassiq exclusivity).

Composers rendered as a timeline to bring a little perspective:

900900 10001000 11001100 12001200 13001300 14001400 15001500 16001600 17001700 18001800 19001900 20002000

Timeline :

Composers Conductors Lyrical singers Performers Worldwide Europe North America South America Asia Oceania Africa 2021

This timeline is interactive to navigate through the ages (from 1400), or eras : medieval music, renaissance, baroque music (Bach...), classical period (Mozart...), romantic music (Beethoven...), XXth (Stravinsky), or across continents (with ).

Top 10 classical musiccomposers in Asia

Who are these greatest composers, the most famous in Asia? The works of these musician have shaped the history of classical music and lyric art. There are those you probably know, or at least by name and the others.

Here are these 10 classical music composers, renowned artists from around the world:

Curious to know their most emblematic works? Just a click away to discover them.

The selections of musicians (classical music composers) proposed by soclassiq are based exclusively on algorithms. The same applies to their works, the performers, the lyrical singers, les orchestras, the conductors and the venues : opera houses, concert halls or festivals.

What about the others? 25, 50 or more?

Summarizing to 10 musician names such a wide and diverse field may seem extreme or too simplistic for those who know classical music and lyrical art well, for those who can easily name 50 or more classical music composers. Garayev, Mansurian, Paliashvili, Cho, Takemitsu, Ma, Dun...

At this time, soclassiq has listed more than 19000 composers. So here is a selection of some composers, in Asia, widely recognized around the world:

Note:

This selection may include highly reputed artists and musicians who have occasionally devoted themselves to classical music and not exclusively.
It may also include composers who have been or are concert performers, some more renowned for their careers than for the work they have left behind.

A
 Kōmei Abe10 centuries of classical music  
1911-2006 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Keiko Abe10 centuries of classical music  
age 83 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Rosalina Abejo10 centuries of classical music  
1922-1991 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Vasif Adigozalov10 centuries of classical music  
1935-2006 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Shafiga Akhundova10 centuries of classical music  
1924-2013 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Yasushi Akutagawa10 centuries of classical music  
1925-1989 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Suleĭman Aleskerov10 centuries of classical music  
1924-2000 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Franghiz Ali-Zadeh10 centuries of classical music  
age 73 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Raffi Armenian10 centuries of classical music  
age 78 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Alexander Arutiunian10 centuries of classical music  
1920-2012 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Mukhtar Ashrafi10 centuries of classical music  
1912-1975 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Yuval Avital10 centuries of classical music  
age 43 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Avi Avital10 centuries of classical music  
age 42 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 

B
 Afrasiyab Badalbeyli10 centuries of classical music  
1907-1976 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Zakir Dzjavad ogli Bagirov10 centuries of classical music  
1916-1996 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Andria Balanchivadze10 centuries of classical music  
1906-1992 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Meliton Balanchivadze10 centuries of classical music  
1862-1937 (Romantic)
                        
Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer 
 Sergey Balasanian10 centuries of classical music  
1902-1982 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Lisa Batiashvili10 centuries of classical music  
age 42 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Nisar Bazmi10 centuries of classical music  
1925-2007 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Sadao Bekku10 centuries of classical music  
1922-2012 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Paul Ben-Haim10 centuries of classical music  
1897-1984 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Bart Berman10 centuries of classical music  
age 82 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Gary Bertini10 centuries of classical music  
1927-2005 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Valentin Bibik10 centuries of classical music  
1940-2003 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Yevgeny Brusilovsky10 centuries of classical music  
1905-1981 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Stanislav Bunin10 centuries of classical music  
age 54 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 

Qigang Chen10 centuries of classical music
age 69 (20th century)
Composer

Unsuk Chin10 centuries of classical music
age 59 (20th century)
Composer

Seong-Jin Cho10 centuries of classical music
age 26 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Tigran Chukhajian10 centuries of classical music
1837-1898 (Romantic)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Chaya Czernowin10 centuries of classical music
age 63 (20th century)
Composer

Bilegiin Damdinsüren10 centuries of classical music
1919-1992 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Ikuma Dan10 centuries of classical music
1924-2001 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Hossein Dehlavi10 centuries of classical music
1927-2019 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Victor Dolidze10 centuries of classical music
1890-1933 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Avner Dorman10 centuries of classical music
age 46 (20th century)
Composer

Tan Dun10 centuries of classical music
age 63 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Ahn Eak-tai10 centuries of classical music
1906-1965 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Angelo Ephrikian10 centuries of classical music
1913-1982 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Nie Er10 centuries of classical music
1912-1935 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Manuel de Falla10 centuries of classical music
1876-1946 (20th century)
Performer & Composer
Masterpieces Complete works

Kazuo Fukushima10 centuries of classical music
age 91 (20th century)
Composer

Ivan Galamian10 centuries of classical music
1903-1981 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Vyacheslav Ganelin10 centuries of classical music
age 76 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Faraj Garayev10 centuries of classical music
age 77 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Gara Garayev10 centuries of classical music
1918-1982 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Sembiin Gonchigsumlaa10 centuries of classical music
1919-1991 (20th century)
Composer

H
  Matt Haimovitz10 centuries of classical music  
age 50 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Zulfugar Hajibeyov10 centuries of classical music  
1884-1950 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Soltan Hajibeyov10 centuries of classical music  
1919-1974 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Uzeyir Hajibeyov10 centuries of classical music  
1885-1948 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Jovdat Hajiyev10 centuries of classical music  
1917-2002 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Kazuko Hara10 centuries of classical music  
1935-2014 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Fumio Hayasaka10 centuries of classical music  
1914-1955 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Hikaru Hayashi10 centuries of classical music  
1931-2012 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Joe Hisaishi10 centuries of classical music  
age 70 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer 
  Toshio Hosokawa10 centuries of classical music  
age 65 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Mehdi Hosseini10 centuries of classical music  
age 41 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Edgar Hovhannisyan10 centuries of classical music  
1930-1998 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Gagik Hovunts10 centuries of classical music  
1930-2019 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Li Huanzhi10 centuries of classical music  
1919-2000 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 

I
 Toshi Ichiyanagi10 centuries of classical music  
age 88 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Akira Ifukube10 centuries of classical music  
1914-2006 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Shin'ichirō Ikebe10 centuries of classical music  
age 77 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Tomojirō Ikenouchi10 centuries of classical music  
1906-1991 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Yoshirō Irino10 centuries of classical music  
1921-1980 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Maki Ishii10 centuries of classical music  
1936-2003 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Kan Ishii10 centuries of classical music  
1921-2009 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Daisuke Ishiwatari10 centuries of classical music  
age 47 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Yasuhide Ito10 centuries of classical music  
age 60 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 

Jahangir Jahangirov10 centuries of classical music
1921-1992 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Malek Jandali10 centuries of classical music
age 48 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Zhao Jiping10 centuries of classical music
age 76 (20th century)
Composer

Marios Joannou Elia10 centuries of classical music
age 42 (20th century)
Composer

Dina Joffe10 centuries of classical music
age 68 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

K
  Vakhtang Kakhidze10 centuries of classical music  
age 62 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Joseph Kaminski10 centuries of classical music  
1903-1972 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Gia Kancheli10 centuries of classical music  
1935-2019 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Hitomi Kaneko10 centuries of classical music  
age 56 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Yoko Kanno10 centuries of classical music  
age 57 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer 
 Shigeru Kan-no10 centuries of classical music  
age 61 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Anna Kasyan10 centuries of classical music  
age 39 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer & Composer 
 Mine Kawakami10 centuries of classical music  
age 51 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Masaru Kawasaki10 centuries of classical music  
1924-2018 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Karen Khachaturian10 centuries of classical music  
1920-2011 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Quddus Khojamyarov10 centuries of classical music  
1918-1994 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Kōichi Kishi10 centuries of classical music  
1909-1937 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Yasuji Kiyose10 centuries of classical music  
1900-1981 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Otto Klemperer10 centuries of classical music  
1885-1973 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Nobu Kōda10 centuries of classical music  
1870-1946 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Momo Kodama10 centuries of classical music  
age 49 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Koji Kondo10 centuries of classical music  
age 59 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Hidemaro Konoye10 centuries of classical music  
1898-1973 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Mark Kopytman10 centuries of classical music  
1929-2011 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Mayako Kubo10 centuries of classical music  
age 73 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Mina Kubota10 centuries of classical music  
age 49 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Dimash Kudaibergen10 centuries of classical music  
age 26 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer 
 Bidzina Kvernadze10 centuries of classical music  
1928-2010 (20th century)
                        
Composer 

Giorgi Latsabidze10 centuries of classical music
age 42 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

... L

Marc Lavry10 centuries of classical music
1903-1967 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Ming-Qiang Li10 centuries of classical music
age 84 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Yundi Li10 centuries of classical music
age 38 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Hampartsoum Limondjian10 centuries of classical music
1768-1839 (Classical)
Performer & Composer

Kate Liu10 centuries of classical music
age 26 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

He Luting10 centuries of classical music
1903-1999 (20th century)
Composer

M
  Yo-Yo Ma10 centuries of classical music  
age 65 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Ibrahim Maalouf10 centuries of classical music  
age 40 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Aleksandre Machavariani10 centuries of classical music  
1913-1995 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Muslim Magomayev10 centuries of classical music  
1885-1937 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
  Muslim Magomayev10 centuries of classical music  
1942-2008 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Lyrical singer & Composer 
 Abdylas Maldybaev10 centuries of classical music  
1906-1978 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer & Composer 
 Arif Malikov10 centuries of classical music  
1933-2019 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Michio Mamiya10 centuries of classical music  
age 91 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Tigran Mansurian10 centuries of classical music  
age 82 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Cheng Maoyun10 centuries of classical music  
1900-1957 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Yoritsune Matsudaira10 centuries of classical music  
1907-2001 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Teizo Matsumura10 centuries of classical music  
1929-2007 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Toshiro Mayuzumi10 centuries of classical music  
1929-1997 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Alexander Melik-Pashayev10 centuries of classical music  
1905-1964 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Minoru Miki10 centuries of classical music  
1930-2011 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Shūkichi Mitsukuri10 centuries of classical music  
1895-1971 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Veli Mukhatov10 centuries of classical music  
1916-2005 (20th century)
                        
Composer 

Hiroko Nakamura10 centuries of classical music
1944-2016 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Tamezō Narita10 centuries of classical music
1893-1945 (20th century)
Composer

Masakazu Natsuda10 centuries of classical music
age 52 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Daniel Nazareth10 centuries of classical music
1948-2014 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Akira Nishimura10 centuries of classical music
age 67 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Knyaz Niyazi10 centuries of classical music
1912-1984 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Yuji Nomi10 centuries of classical music
age 62 (20th century)
Composer

Hiroshi Ohguri10 centuries of classical music
1918-1982 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Yoshiaki Onishi10 centuries of classical music
age 40 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Konstantin Orbelyan10 centuries of classical music
1928-2014 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Michiru Oshima10 centuries of classical music
age 60 (20th century)
Composer

Hisatada Otaka10 centuries of classical music
1911-1951 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Makoto Ozone10 centuries of classical music
age 60 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Zacharia Paliashvili10 centuries of classical music
1871-1933 (20th century)
Composer

Ödön Pártos10 centuries of classical music
1907-1977 (20th century)
Composer

Chen Peixun10 centuries of classical music
1921-2006 (20th century)
Composer

Đặng Hữu Phúc10 centuries of classical music
age 67 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

S. P. Somtow10 centuries of classical music
age 68 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Mansour Rahbani10 centuries of classical music
1925-2009 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Ali Rahbari10 centuries of classical music
age 73 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Abdel Rahman El Bacha10 centuries of classical music
age 62 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

S
 Wadia Sabra10 centuries of classical music  
1876-1952 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Shigeaki Saegusa10 centuries of classical music  
age 78 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Toshihiko Sahashi10 centuries of classical music  
age 61 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Hideo Saito10 centuries of classical music  
1902-1974 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Ryuichi Sakamoto10 centuries of classical music  
age 69 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Heshmat Sanjari10 centuries of classical music  
1917-1995 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Huseyngulu Sarabski10 centuries of classical music  
1879-1945 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer & Composer 
 Ghazaros Saryan10 centuries of classical music  
1920-1998 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Kentaro Sato10 centuries of classical music  
age 39 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Vladimir Shainsky10 centuries of classical music  
1925-2017 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Mohammad Shams10 centuries of classical music  
age 66 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Ding Shande10 centuries of classical music  
1911-1995 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Anoushka Shankar10 centuries of classical music  
age 39 (20th century)
                        
Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer 
 Bright Sheng10 centuries of classical music  
age 65 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Noam Sheriff10 centuries of classical music  
1935-2018 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Liu Shikun10 centuries of classical music  
age 82 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Mieko Shiomi10 centuries of classical music  
age 83 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Xiao Shuxian10 centuries of classical music  
1905-1991 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Yeol Eum Son10 centuries of classical music  
age 34 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Dang Thai Son10 centuries of classical music  
age 62 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Cong Su10 centuries of classical music  
age 64 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Masaaki Suzuki10 centuries of classical music  
age 66 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 

T
  Yūji Takahashi10 centuries of classical music  
age 82 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Toru Takemitsu10 centuries of classical music  
1930-1996 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Rentarō Taki10 centuries of classical music  
1879-1903 (Romantic)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Josef Tal10 centuries of classical music  
1910-2008 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
 Yoav Talmi10 centuries of classical music  
age 77 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Muhai Tang10 centuries of classical music  
age 71 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Mikael Tariverdiev10 centuries of classical music  
1931-1996 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Avet Terterian10 centuries of classical music  
1929-1994 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
  Loris Tjeknavorian10 centuries of classical music  
age 83 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Isao Tomita10 centuries of classical music  
1932-2016 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Yuzo Toyama10 centuries of classical music  
age 89 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Sulkhan Tsintsadze10 centuries of classical music  
1925-1991 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Fou Ts'ong10 centuries of classical music  
1934-2020 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Nobuyuki Tsujii10 centuries of classical music  
age 32 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Huang Tzu10 centuries of classical music  
1904-1938 (20th century)
                        
Composer 

Mitsuko Uchida10 centuries of classical music
age 72 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Vanessa Vanessa-Mae10 centuries of classical music
age 42 (20th century)
Performer & Composer

Kaoru Wada10 centuries of classical music
age 58 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Composer

Jiang Wen-Ye10 centuries of classical music
1910-1983 (20th century)
Composer

Ye Xiaogang10 centuries of classical music
age 65 (20th century)
Composer

Qu Xiao-Song10 centuries of classical music
age 69 (20th century)
Conductor & Composer

Xian Xinghai10 centuries of classical music
1905-1945 (20th century)
Composer

Y
 Kazuo Yamada10 centuries of classical music  
1912-1991 (20th century)
                        
Conductor, Performer & Composer 
  Kosaku Yamada10 centuries of classical music  
1886-1965 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Hiroyuki Yamamoto10 centuries of classical music  
age 54 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Stomu Yamashta10 centuries of classical music  
age 74 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Akio Yashiro10 centuries of classical music  
1929-1976 (20th century)
                        
Conductor & Composer 
 Yitzhak Yedid10 centuries of classical music  
age 49 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
 Chen Yi10 centuries of classical music  
age 68 (20th century)
                        
Performer & Composer 
  Takashi Yoshimatsu10 centuries of classical music  
age 68 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Joji Yuasa10 centuries of classical music  
age 91 (20th century)
                        
Composer 
 Du Yun10 centuries of classical music  
age 43 (20th century)
                        
Composer 

Azər Zeynalov10 centuries of classical music
age 56 (20th century)
Lyrical singer, Performer & Composer

Gaziza Zhubanova10 centuries of classical music
1927-1993 (20th century)
Composer

10 centuries of classical music Composers (Asia)

Timeline of classical music composers in Asia

Top 10 classical musiccomposers in Asia

What about the others? 25, 50 or more?

See also...

Timelines : Composers

Indexes

Other timelines

Commemorations 2021, 2022, ...