List of church music composers

Cecilia of Rome (around 200–230), patroness of church music

This list of church music composers includes successive composers with notable works of church music (instrumental and vocal works) of national importance.

Early music in Europe

Hildegard von Bingen

middle Ages

• Petrus Abelardus (1079–1142) - vocal works, a. a. Lamentations (plankus), hymns
• Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) - vocal works, a. a. Sacred singspiel, liturgical chants
• Guillaume de Machaut (1300 / 05–1377) - vocal works, a. a. Fair de Nostre Dame

Renaissance

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Orlando di Lasso

Claudio Monteverdi

• Guillaume Dufay (1397–1474) - vocal works
• Gilles Binchois (around 1400-1460) - vocal works
• Johannes Ockeghem (around 1420/25 - 1497) - vocal works
• Gaspar van Weerbeke (around 1445 - after 1517) - vocal works
• Josquin Desprez (1450 / 55–1521) - vocal works
• Heinrich Isaac (around 1450 - 1517) - vocal works, a. a. Virgo prudentissima and Innsbruck, I have to let you
• Jacob Obrecht (1457/58 - 1505) - vocal works
• Pierre de la Rue (1460/70 - 1518) - vocal works
• Adrian Willaert (around 1490 - 1562) - vocal works
• Ludwig Senfl (1490–1543) - vocal works
• Costanzo Festa (1490–1545) - vocal works
• Philippe Verdelot (1490–1562) - vocal works
• Johann Walter (1496–1570) - vocal works, a. a. Wake up, wake up, you German country
• Thomas Tallis (around 1505 - 1585) - instrumental and vocal works, including Spem in alium
• Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566) - instrumental and vocal works
• Giovanni Animuccia (1514–1571) - vocal works
• Jobst von Brandt (1517–1570) - vocal works
• Sigmund Hemmel (around 1520-1565) - vocal works
• Philippe de Monte (1521–1603) - vocal works
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594) - vocal works, a. a. Missa Papae Marcelli
• Claude Le Jeune (around 1530 - 1600) - instrumental and vocal works
• Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594) - vocal works
• Andrea Gabrieli (1532 / 33–1586) - instrumental and vocal works
• Claudio Merulo (1533–1604) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hans Leo Haßler (1546–1612) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Masses, motets
• Gutierre Fernández Hidalgo (around 1547 - 1623) - vocal works
• Thomas Morley (1557–1602) - instrumental and vocal works
• Giovanni Gabrieli (1557–1613) - instrumental and vocal works
• C. Crassini (1561-1632) - vocal works
• Christoph Demantius (1567–1643) - vocal works
• Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) - vocal works, a. a. Marian vespers

Baroque

Dieterich Buxtehude

Johann Sebastian Bach

georg Friedrich Handel

• Adriano Banchieri (1568–1634) - vocal works
• Melchior Vulpius (1570-1615) - vocal works
• Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Choral arrangements, masses and motets
• Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656) - instrumental and vocal works
• Thomas Weelkes (1576–1623) - vocal works
• Johann Stobäus (1580–1646) - vocal works
• Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) - instrumental and vocal works
• Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672) - vocal compositions, a. a. Motets, psalm settings, cantiones sacrae, passions
• Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630) - vocal works
• Matthias Weckmann (1615 / 17–1674) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Rosenmüller (1619–1684) - instrumental and vocal works
• Giovanni Battista Vitali (1632–1692) - instrumental and vocal works
• Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) - instrumental and vocal works
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704) - instrumental and vocal works
• Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704) - instrumental and vocal works
• Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) - instrumental works
• Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) instrumental works (organ)
• Henry Purcell (1659–1695) - instrumental and vocal works
• Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) - vocal works, a. a. St. Cecilia Fair
• Johann Joseph Fux (1660–1741) - instrumental and vocal works
• Nicolaus Bruhns (1665–1697) - instrumental and vocal works
• Jean Gilles (1668–1705) - vocal works
• Reinhard Keizer (1674–1739) - vocal works, a. a. Brockes Passion
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) - instrumental and vocal works
• Meinrad Spieß (1683–1761) - instrumental and vocal works
• Francesco Durante (1684–1755) - vocal works
• Johann Theodor Roemhildt (1684–1756) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) - instrumental and vocal works, organ works, cantatas, oratorios, motets, masses
• Georg Friedrich Handel (1685–1759) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Dettinger Te Deum , Messiah , Coronation Anthems
• Johann Adolf Hasse (1699–1783) - vocal works

Baltic states

Arvo Pärt

• Miina Härma (1864–1941) - instrumental and vocal works
• Juhan Aavik (1884–1982) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johannes Job (1907–1942) - instrumental and vocal works
• Arvo Pärt (* 1935) - instrumental and vocal works

Benelux

• Hendrik van den Abeele (1869–1931) - instrumental and vocal works
• Joseph Ryelandt (1870–1965) - vocal works
• Jules Van Nuffel (1883–1953) - instrumental and vocal works

German-speaking area

Heinrich Schütz

Georg Philipp Telemann

Joseph Haydn

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Franz Schubert

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Anton Bruckner

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger

Max Reger

Hugo Distler

Wolfram Menschick

Helge Jung

• Johann Walter (1496–1570) - vocal works
• Hans Leo Haßler (1546–1612) - instrumental and vocal works
• Michael Praetorius (1571? –1621) - instrumental and vocal works
• Moritz Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel (1572–1632)
• Melchior Franck (around 1579 - 1639) - vocal works
• Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672) - vocal works
• Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630) - instrumental and vocal works
• Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Bach (1604–1673) - instrumental and vocal works
• Dietrich Buxtehude (around 1637 - 1707) - instrumental and vocal works, v. a. Organ works and cantatas
• Johann Christoph Bach (1642–1703) - instrumental and vocal works
• Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Michael Bach (1648–1694) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) - instrumental works (organ)
• Johann Joseph Fux (1660–1741) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731) - instrumental and vocal works
• Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745) - instrumental and vocal works
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Cantatas, psalms, passions, oratorios, organ works
• Valentin Rathgeber (1682–1750) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Instrumental concerts, organ music, masses, requies, hymns, vespers
• Meinrad Spieß (1683–1761) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) - instrumental and vocal works
• Joseph Meck (around 1690 - 1758) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Adolph Hasse (1699–1783) - vocal works
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732–1795) - instrumental and vocal works
• Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Masses, oratorios, motets
• Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782) - instrumental works
• Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736–1809) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johann Michael Haydn (1737–1806) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Masses, requiem, motets
• Christian Wilhelm Alers (1737–1806) - vocal works
• Angelus Dreher (1741–1809) - instrumental and vocal works
• Nikolaus Betscher (1745–1811) - instrumental and vocal works
• Gilbert Michl (1750–1828) - Vocal works (Requiem)
• Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. La passione di nostro signore Gesù Cristo
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Masses, requiem , epistle sonatas
• Benno Grueber (1759–1796) - vocal works
• Max Keller (1770–1855) - instrumental and vocal works
• Christian Gottlob August Bergt (1772–1837) - instrumental and vocal works
• Franz Schubert (1797–1828) - vocal works, a. a. Fairs, offers, Stabat Mater, Tantum ergo
• Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Oratorios, organ works
• Gustav Flügel (1812–1900) - instrumental and vocal works
• Friedrich Mergner (1818–1891) - instrumental and vocal works
• Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Mass No. 3 in F minor and Te Deum
• Wilhelm Westmeyer (1829–1880) - vocal works
• Winand Nick (1831-1910) - vocal works
• Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. A German requiem and chorale arrangements for organ
• Albert Becker (1834–1899) - instrumental and vocal works
• Felix Draeseke (1835–1913) - vocal works
• Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839–1901) - instrumental and vocal works
• Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843–1900) - instrumental and vocal works
• Ernst Flügel (1844–1912) - instrumental and vocal works
• Arnold Mendelssohn (1855–1933) - instrumental and vocal works
• Josef Venantius von Wöss (1863–1943) - instrumental and vocal works
• Max Reger (1873–1916) - instrumental and vocal works, especially organ works, choral works a. a. The 100th psalm , requiem , choral cantatas, motets
• Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877–1933) - instrumental works (organ)
• August Högn (1878–1961) - vocal works, a. a. Masses, Marienlieder
• Gregor Schwake (1892–1967) - vocal works, a. a. Dachau fair
• Johann Nepomuk David (1895–1977) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johannes Weyrauch (1897–1977) - instrumental and vocal works
• Ernst Pepping (1901–1981) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hans Friedrich Micheelsen (1902–1973) - instrumental and vocal works
• Theophil Laitenberger (1903–1996) - instrumental and vocal works
• Günter Raphael (1903–1960) - instrumental and vocal works
• Joseph Ahrens (1904–1997) - instrumental works (organ)
• Hermann Schroeder (1904–1984) - instrumental and vocal works
• Kurt Thomas (1904–1973) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Motets, oratorio, mass, psalm
• Helmut Bornefeld (1906–1990) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hugo Distler (1908–1942) - instrumental and vocal works
• Kurt Fiebig (1908–1988) - vocal works, a. a. Hall cantata from the Word of God , St. Mark's Passion , Advent Oratorio
• Kurt Hessenberg (1908–1994) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johannes Petzold (1912–1985) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hermann Stern (1912–1978) - instrumental and vocal works
• Siegfried Reda (1916–1968) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hans Martin (1916–2007) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Masses, Proprien, motets, cantatas, Passion, organ works
• Max Baumann (1917–1999) - instrumental and vocal works
• Johannes Driessler (1921–1998) - instrumental and vocal works
• Anton Heiller (1923–1979) - instrumental and vocal works
• György Ligeti (1923–2006) - instrumental and vocal works
• Bertold Hummel (1925–2002) - instrumental and vocal works
• Carl Theodor Hütterott (* 1926) - instrumental and vocal works
• Helmut Barbe (* 1927) - vocal works
• Josef Michel (1928–2002) - vocal works
• Manfred Kluge (1928–1971) - instrumental and vocal works
• Edgar Rabsch (1928–1990) - instrumental and vocal works
• Matthias Kern (1928–2014) - instrumental works (organ)
• Siegfried Strohbach (1929–2019) - vocal works, a. a. Cantatas, motets, passion
• Martin Gotthard Schneider (1930–2017) - vocal works, hymns
• Wolfgang Stockmeier (1931–2015) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hans Georg Bertram (1936–2013) - vocal works, a. a. Christmas cantata
• Oskar Gottlieb Blarr (* 1934) - instrumental and vocal works
• Wolfgang Hufschmidt (1934–2018) - instrumental and vocal works
• Rolf Schweizer (1936–2016) - instrumental and vocal works
• Wolfram Menschick (1937–2010) - instrumental and vocal works
• Helge Jung (1943–2013) - instrumental and vocal works
• Horst Lohse (* 1943) - instrumental and vocal works
• Michael Radulescu (* 1943) - instrumental and vocal works
• Kurt Grahl (* 1947) - instrumental and vocal works
• Bernhard Hemmerle (* 1949) - instrumental and vocal works
• Hans-Peter Braun (* 1950) - instrumental and vocal works, cantatas, organ cycles, harpsichord cycle, song cycle
• Beate Leibe (* 1954) - instrumental and vocal works
• Andreas Willscher (* 1955) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Oratorios Ansgar Apostel des Nordens and Ans Licht about the Lübeck martyrs
• Wolfgang Seifen (* 1956) - instrumental and vocal works
• Claus Kühel (* 1957) - instrumental and vocal works
• Franz Surges (1958–2015) - instrumental and vocal works
• Ingo Bredenbach (* 1959) - instrumental and vocal works
• Ludger Stühlmeyer (* 1961) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Cantatas, masses, motets, passion, organ works
• David Haladjian (* 1962) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Missa de Lumine and Stabat Mater
• Johannes Matthias Michel (* 1962) - instrumental and vocal works
• Carsten Klomp (* 1965) - instrumental and vocal works
• Volker Felgenhauer (* 1965) - instrumental and vocal works
• Wolfram Graf (* 1965) - instrumental and vocal works
• Stefan Hippe (* 1966) - vocal works
• Traugott Fünfgeld (* 1971) - instrumental and vocal works

England

Thomas Tallis

Edward Elgar

Benjamin Britten

• John Taverner (around 1485-1545) - instrumental and vocal works
• Thomas Tallis (around 1505 - 1585) - instrumental and vocal works
• William Byrd (1543–1623) - instrumental and vocal works
• Henry Lawes (1595–1662) - instrumental and vocal works
• William Lawes (1602–1645) - instrumental and vocal works
• John Blow (1649–1708) - instrumental and vocal works
• Henry Purcell (1659–1695) - instrumental and vocal works
• Georg Friedrich Handel (1685–1759) - instrumental and vocal works
• Thomas Arne (1710–1778) - instrumental and vocal works
• Jonathan Battishill (1738–1801) - instrumental and vocal works
• Frederick Ouseley (1825–1889) - instrumental and vocal works
• John Stainer (1840–1901) - vocal works
• Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924) - instrumental and vocal works
• Edward Elgar (1857–1934) - instrumental and vocal works
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) - instrumental and vocal works
• Gustav Holst (1874–1934) - vocal works
• Alfred William Abdey (1876–1952) - instrumental and vocal works
• Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Was Requiem and A Ceremony of Carols
• William Lloyd Webber (1914–1982) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Missa Princeps Pacis and The Savior - A meditation upon the death of Christ
• Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016) - instrumental and vocal works
• Colin Mawby (1936-2019) - vocal works
• John Tavener (1944–2013) - instrumental and vocal works
• John Rutter (* 1945) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Magnificat and Requiem
• Christopher Tambling (1964–2015) - instrumental and vocal works

France

Camille Saint-Saëns

Olivier Messiaen

• Eustache du Caurroy (1549–1609) - vocal works
• Henri Dumont (1610–1684) - instrumental and vocal works
• Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687) - instrumental and vocal works
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704) - instrumental and vocal works
• Michel-Richard Delalande (1657–1726) - instrumental and vocal works
• François Couperin (1668–1733) - instrumental and vocal works
• Pierre-César Abeille (1674 – after 1733) - vocal works
• César Franck (1822–1890) - instrumental and vocal works
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Oratorio de Noël and Requiem
• Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911) - instrumental and vocal works
• Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937) - instrumental and vocal works
• Eugène Gigout (1844–1925) - instrumental works
• Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) - instrumental and vocal works
• Louis Vierne (1870–1937) - instrumental and vocal works
• Marcel Dupré (1886–1971) - instrumental and vocal works
• Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) - instrumental and vocal works
• Maurice Durufle (1902–1986) - instrumental and vocal works
• Jean Langlais (1907–1991) - instrumental and vocal works
• Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. La Nativité du Seigneur and Saint François d'Assise
• Jehan Alain (1911–1940) - instrumental and vocal works
• Naji Hakim (* 1955) - instrumental and vocal works

Italy

Giuseppe Verdi

• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594) - vocal works, a. a. measure up
• Giovanni Gabrieli (1556 / 57–1612) - instrumental and vocal works
• Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) - vocal works
• Floriano Canale (before 1575 - after 1612) - vocal works
• Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) - instrumental and vocal works
• Giacomo Carissimi (1605–1674) - vocal works
• Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) - vocal works
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) - instrumental and vocal works
• Giovanni Pacini (1796–1867) - vocal works, a. a. Oratorios, cantatas, masses
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) - vocal works, Messa da Requiem and Quattro pezzi sacri
• Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) - Vocal works, Missa di gloria

Poland

Krzysztof Penderecki

• Krzysztof Penderecki (1933–2020) - instrumental and vocal works, a. a. Luke Passion

Russia

Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina

• Dmitri Bortnjanski (1751-1825) - vocal works, a. a. Great doxology and you Shepherd of Israel, listen
• Sergei Rachmaninow (1873–1943) - vocal works, a. a. Deus meus , The Theotokos of God tireless in intercessions
• Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) - vocal works, a. a. Pater noster , psalm symphony , Requiem Canticles
• Sofia Asgatowna Gubaidulina (* 1931) - instrumental and vocal works

Spain

• Antonio Soler (1729–1783) - instrumental works
• Felip Pedrell (1841-1922)

Czech Republic

• Jiří Družecký (1745–1819) - vocal works
• Petr Eben (1929–2007) - instrumental and vocal works

Scandinavia

• Thorvald Aagaard (1877–1937) - instrumental and vocal works
• Thorleif Aamodt (1909–2003) - instrumental and vocal works