The great classical music performers Asia
Jo or Chung? Perlman or Comissiona? It is difficult for inquiring minds to tackle a field as large and diverse as classical music, covering 10 centuries of history: there are uncountable numbers of classical music performers in the world. 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 performer/musician not be instinctively privileged by an English critic?
For example: in Canada, Marc-André Hamelin, a Quebec pianist and composer, is at least as popular as the German violinist Anne-Sofie Mutter, who is more internationally renowned.
Timeline of classical musicians in Asia
Whoever wants to discover classical music 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 this field. So : Jo (South Korean operatic soprano) or Chung (Korean violinist) ? Gitlis (Israeli violinist (1922-2020)) or Barenboim (Israeli Argentine-born pianist and conductor) ? However, the knowledge available about musicians is enormous. It was processed to select the 10, 25, 50... most popular performers around the world, for those living or having lived en Asia, . And this objectively, and for the first time (soclassiq exclusivity).
Performers rendered as a timeline to bring a little perspective:
.
ComposersConductorsLyrical singersPerformersT 2024
This timeline is interactive to navigate through the ages or across continents (with ).
Why are all these composers included in this timeline?
Many composers have also been concert performers or conductors, although their fame is associated with their work today. On the other hand, some conductors such as Arturo Toscanini, Georg Solti ... or musicians such as Martha Argerich, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould ... have also composed. Itzhak Perlman, David Oïstrakh... very well known as concert performers, have also conducted orchestras. Others, such as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, William Christie ..., are renowned as much for their careers as composers, conductors and performers.
Top 10 classical musicians in Asia
Who are these greatest performers, the most famous over the 1880-2020 era in Asia? The carreer of these musician has marked the history of classical music. There are those you probably know, or at least by name and the others.
Here are these 10 performers, renowned artists from around the world:
The musicians and artists who also composed were removed from this ranking.
The selections of musicians (performers) proposed by soclassiq are based exclusively on algorithms. The same applies to the composers, their works, 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 well, for those who can easily name 50 or more classical music performers. Maisky, Chung, Gavrilov, Gasparyan, Wang, Salonga, Papian...
At this time, soclassiq has listed more than 13000 performers. So here is a selection of some performers for the years 1880-2020, 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 performers who have been or are composers, some more renowned for the work they have left than for their careers as musicians.
Behzod Abdurahimov The great classical music performers
age 33 (20th century)
Performer
Kōmei Abe The great classical music performers
1911-2006 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Keiko Abe The great classical music performers
age 86 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Maurice Abravanel The great classical music performers
1903-1993 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Vasif Adigozalov The great classical music performers
1935-2006 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Lily Afshar The great classical music performers
1960-2023 (20th century)
Performer
Ruben Aharonyan The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Performer
Franghiz Ahmadova The great classical music performers
1928-2011 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Yasushi Akutagawa The great classical music performers
1925-1989 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Shovkat Alakbarova The great classical music performers
1922-1993 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Nareh Arghamanyan The great classical music performers
age 35 (20th century)
Performer
Alexander Arutiunian The great classical music performers
1920-2012 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Takashi Asahina The great classical music performers
1908-2001 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Mukhtar Ashrafi The great classical music performers
1912-1975 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Abdel Rahman El Bacha The great classical music performers
age 65 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Zakir Baghirov The great classical music performers
1916-1996 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Roza Baglanova The great classical music performers
1922-2011 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Andria Balanchivadze The great classical music performers
1906-1992 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Meliton Balanchivadze The great classical music performers
1862-1937 (Romantic)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Performer
Sergey Balasanian The great classical music performers
1902-1982 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Daniel Barenboim The great classical music performers
age 81 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Elena Bashkirova The great classical music performers
age 66 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Lisa Batiashvili The great classical music performers
age 45 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Paul Ben-Haim The great classical music performers
1897-1984 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Bart Berman The great classical music performers
age 85 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Gary Bertini The great classical music performers
1927-2005 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Valentin Bibik The great classical music performers
1940-2003 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Elisso Bolkvadze The great classical music performers
age 57 (20th century)
Performer
Guy Braunstein The great classical music performers
age 53 (20th century)
Performer
Yefim Bronfman The great classical music performers
age 65 (20th century)
Performer
Yevgeny Brusilovsky The great classical music performers
1905-1981 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Vincent Bueno The great classical music performers
age 38 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Performer
Bulbul The great classical music performers
1897-1961 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Khatia Buniatishvili The great classical music performers
age 36 (20th century)
Performer
Stanislav Bunin The great classical music performers
age 57 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Qigang Chen The great classical music performers
age 72 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Lamara Chkonia The great classical music performers
age 93 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Seong-Jin Cho The great classical music performers
age 29 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Tigran Chukhajian The great classical music performers
1837-1898 (Romantic)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Myung-whun Chung The great classical music performers
age 71 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Kyung-wha Chung The great classical music performers
age 75 (20th century)
Performer
Sergiu Comissiona The great classical music performers
1928-2005 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Chaya Czernowin The great classical music performers
age 66 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Bilegiin Damdinsüren The great classical music performers
1919-1992 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Hossein Dehlavi The great classical music performers
1927-2019 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Delkash The great classical music performers
1924-2004 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Victor Dolidze The great classical music performers
1890-1933 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Zara Dolukhanova The great classical music performers
1918-2007 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Tan Dun The great classical music performers
age 66 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Ahn Eak-tai The great classical music performers
1906-1965 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Nie Er The great classical music performers
1912-1935 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Mahan Esfahani The great classical music performers
age 40 (20th century)
Performer
Manuel de Falla The great classical music performers
1876-1946 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
MasterpiecesComplete works
Kotaro Fukuma The great classical music performers
age 41 (20th century)
Performer
Ivan Galamian The great classical music performers
1903-1981 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Faraj Garayev The great classical music performers
age 80 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Gara Garayev The great classical music performers
1918-1982 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Fidan Gasimova The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Khuraman Gasimova The great classical music performers
age 72 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Gohar Gasparyan The great classical music performers
1924-2007 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Andrei Gavrilov The great classical music performers
age 68 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Boris Giltburg The great classical music performers
age 39 (20th century)
Performer
Ivry Gitlis The great classical music performers
1922-2020 (20th century)
Performer
Itamar Golan The great classical music performers
age 53 (20th century)
Performer
Gegham Grigoryan The great classical music performers
1951-2016 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Maýa Gulyýewa The great classical music performers
1920-2018 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Fidan Hacıyeva The great classical music performers
age 47 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Soltan Hajibeyov The great classical music performers
1919-1974 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Uzeyir Hajibeyov The great classical music performers
1885-1948 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Jovdat Hajiyev The great classical music performers
1917-2002 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Narek Hakhnazaryan The great classical music performers
age 35 (20th century)
Performer
Ofra Harnoy The great classical music performers
age 59 (20th century)
Performer
Hikaru Hayashi The great classical music performers
1931-2012 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Ziyu He The great classical music performers
age 24 (20th century)
Performer
Joe Hisaishi The great classical music performers
age 73 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Lyrical singer & Performer
Toshio Hosokawa The great classical music performers
age 68 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Edgar Hovhannisyan The great classical music performers
1930-1998 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Toshi Ichiyanagi The great classical music performers
1933-2022 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Akira Ifukube The great classical music performers
1914-2006 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Shin'ichirō Ikebe The great classical music performers
age 80 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Nobuko Imai The great classical music performers
age 80 (20th century)
Performer
Lutfiyar Imanov The great classical music performers
1928-2008 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Liana Isakadze The great classical music performers
age 77 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Kan Ishii The great classical music performers
1921-2009 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Tamar Iveri The great classical music performers
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Jahangir Jahangirov The great classical music performers
1921-1992 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Malek Jandali The great classical music performers
age 52 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Sumi Jo The great classical music performers
age 61 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Dina Joffe The great classical music performers
age 71 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Sharon Kam The great classical music performers
age 53 (20th century)
Performer
Joseph Kaminski The great classical music performers
1903-1972 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Yoko Kanno The great classical music performers
age 59 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Performer
Sergey Khachatryan The great classical music performers
age 38 (20th century)
Performer
Karen Khachaturian The great classical music performers
1920-2011 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Zeynab Khanlarova The great classical music performers
age 87 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Bomsori Kim The great classical music performers
age 35 (20th century)
Performer
Evgeny Kissin The great classical music performers
age 52 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Aimi Kobayashi The great classical music performers
age 28 (20th century)
Performer
Nobu Kōda The great classical music performers
1870-1946 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Momo Kodama The great classical music performers
age 51 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Koji Kondo The great classical music performers
age 62 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Lang Lang The great classical music performers
age 41 (20th century)
Performer
Giorgi Latsabidze The great classical music performers
age 45 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Elisabeth Leonskaja The great classical music performers
age 78 (20th century)
Performer
Yundi Li The great classical music performers
age 41 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Cho-liang Lin The great classical music performers
age 64 (20th century)
Performer
Pavel Lisitsian The great classical music performers
1911-2004 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Kate Liu The great classical music performers
age 29 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Arkady Luxemburg The great classical music performers
age 84 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Yo-Yo Ma The great classical music performers
age 68 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Ibrahim Maalouf The great classical music performers
age 43 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Nino Machaidze The great classical music performers
age 41 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Mahasti The great classical music performers
1946-2007 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Mischa Maisky The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Performer
Arif Malikov The great classical music performers
1933-2019 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Anna Malikova The great classical music performers
age 58 (20th century)
Performer
Michio Mamiya The great classical music performers
age 94 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Shovkat Mammadova The great classical music performers
1897-1981 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Lotfi Mansouri The great classical music performers
1929-2013 (20th century)
Performer
Tigran Mansurian The great classical music performers
age 85 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Fuat Mansurov The great classical music performers
1928-2010 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Yoritsune Matsudaira The great classical music performers
1907-2001 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Toshiro Mayuzumi The great classical music performers
1929-1997 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Zubin Mehta The great classical music performers
age 87 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Alexander Melik-Pashayev The great classical music performers
1905-1964 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Minoru Miki The great classical music performers
1930-2011 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Shlomo Mintz The great classical music performers
age 66 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Karl Muck The great classical music performers
1859-1940 (Romantic)
Conductor & Performer
Mayra Mukhamed-kyzy The great classical music performers
age 58 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Veli Mukhatov The great classical music performers
1916-2005 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Rubaba Muradova The great classical music performers
1933-1983 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Kaori Muraji The great classical music performers
age 45 (20th century)
Performer
Hu Nai-yuan The great classical music performers
age 63 (20th century)
Performer
Lisa Nakazono The great classical music performers
age 40 (20th century)
Performer
Svetlana Navasardyan The great classical music performers
age 77 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Takako Nishizaki The great classical music performers
age 79 (20th century)
Performer
Knyaz Niyazi The great classical music performers
1912-1984 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Halima Nosirova The great classical music performers
1913-2003 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Konstantin Orbelyan The great classical music performers
1928-2014 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Tadaaki Otaka The great classical music performers
age 77 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Kun-Woo Paik The great classical music performers
age 77 (20th century)
Performer
Zacharia Paliashvili The great classical music performers
1871-1933 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Hasmik Papian The great classical music performers
age 62 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Ödön Pártos The great classical music performers
1907-1977 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Itzhak Perlman The great classical music performers
age 78 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Menahem Pressler The great classical music performers
1923-2023 (20th century)
Performer
Ali Rahbari The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Hagigat Rzayeva The great classical music performers
1907-1969 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Toshihiko Sahashi The great classical music performers
age 64 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Hideo Saito The great classical music performers
1902-1974 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Ryuichi Sakamoto The great classical music performers
1952-2023 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Lea Salonga The great classical music performers
age 53 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Ghazaros Saryan The great classical music performers
1920-1998 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Shunsuke Sato The great classical music performers
age 39 (20th century)
Performer
Tatevik Sazandaryan The great classical music performers
1916-1999 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Medeniyet Shahberdiyeva The great classical music performers
1930-2018 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Vladimir Shainsky The great classical music performers
1925-2017 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Performer
Lahav Shani The great classical music performers
age 35 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Anoushka Shankar The great classical music performers
age 42 (20th century)
Composer, Lyrical singer & Performer
Bright Sheng The great classical music performers
age 68 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Hyun Su Shin The great classical music performers
age 36 (20th century)
Performer
Yeol Eum Son The great classical music performers
age 37 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Dang Thai Son The great classical music performers
age 65 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Pinchas Steinberg The great classical music performers
age 78 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Akiko Suwanai The great classical music performers
age 52 (20th century)
Performer
Masaaki Suzuki The great classical music performers
age 69 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Shin'ichi Suzuki The great classical music performers
1898-1998 (20th century)
Performer
Yūji Takahashi The great classical music performers
age 85 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Tōru Takemitsu The great classical music performers
1930-1996 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Rentarō Taki The great classical music performers
1879-1903 (Romantic)
Composer & Performer
Josef Tal The great classical music performers
1910-2008 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Muhai Tang The great classical music performers
age 74 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Avet Terterian The great classical music performers
1929-1994 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Loris Tjeknavorian The great classical music performers
age 86 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Isao Tomita The great classical music performers
1932-2016 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Sulkhan Tsintsadze The great classical music performers
1925-1991 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Anahit Tsitsikian The great classical music performers
1926-1999 (20th century)
Performer
Fou Ts'ong The great classical music performers
1934-2020 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Nobuyuki Tsujii The great classical music performers
age 35 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Bibigul Tulegenova The great classical music performers
age 94 (20th century)
Lyrical singer & Performer
Mitsuko Uchida The great classical music performers
age 75 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Ayako Uehara The great classical music performers
age 43 (20th century)
Performer
Tomoharu Ushida The great classical music performers
age 24 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Vanessa Vanessa-Mae The great classical music performers
age 45 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Maxim Vengerov The great classical music performers
age 49 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
Eliso Virsaladze The great classical music performers
age 81 (20th century)
Performer
Kaoru Wada The great classical music performers
age 61 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Yuja Wang The great classical music performers
age 37 (20th century)
Performer
Kazuo Yamada The great classical music performers
1912-1991 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Stomu Yamashta The great classical music performers
age 76 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Xuefei Yang The great classical music performers
age 46 (20th century)
Performer
Akio Yashiro The great classical music performers
1929-1976 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Performer
Yitzhak Yedid The great classical music performers
age 52 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Chen Yi The great classical music performers
age 70 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Haochen Zhang The great classical music performers
age 33 (20th century)
Performer
Gaziza Zhubanova The great classical music performers
1927-1993 (20th century)
Composer & Performer
Pinchas Zuckerman The great classical music performers
age 75 (20th century)
Conductor & Performer
See also...
Timelines : Performers
- The great classical music performers
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century performers [II.] (1950 - 2000)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century performers [I.] (1900 - 1950)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 19th-century performers (1850 - 1900)
Indexes
- All performers : by instrument * by country
- by alphabetical order : A * B * C * D * E * F * G * H * I * J * K * L * M * N * O * P * Q * R * S * T * U * V * W * X * Y * Z
- Young artists (Performers)
Other timelines
- Composers : 10 centuries of classical music
- The great classical music conductors
- The great lyrical singers
Commemorations 2024, 2025, ...
Last update : 2024-03-10