Composers

Born June 8, 1671, in Venice, Italy, Baroque composer Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni primarily composed operas and instrumentals during his career. Being from a wealthy merchant family, Albinoni was exposed to the arts from an early age, studying b0th violin and singing early on. He would ultimately make a career in Italy as an independent musician, and though more than 230 works can be credited to his name, the Venetian composer still considered himself an amateur for most of his professional life. Read more…

American lyricist Lynn Ahrens was born 1 October 1948 in New York. She graduated from Syracuse University and later began work in television in the 1980’s but would find true acclaim in the 1990s on Broadway when she and long-time colleague Stephen Flaherty combined to write the music and lyrics for Once on this Island based on the novel by Rosa Guy, My Love My Love. The show opened in April 1990 and was on Broadway by mid-October of the same year. The show would receive eight Tony nominations including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. Read more…

American songwriter Harry Akst was born in New York City on 15 August, 1894. He would eventually turn out to be a pianist, accompanist and one of the most prolific composers of the time. He even performed as a pianist in vaudeville. Read more…

American lyricist, composer and producer Richard Adler was born 03 August 1921 in New York City to a concert pianist father. After serving time in the Navy he embarked upon a musical career when he found a partner in Jerry Ross. One can hardly talk about Adler without including Ross in the early years. Read more…

Award-winning American composer Ron Abel not only composes but has appeared in film and television as an actor as well as music director. He has been an arranger and conductor and created the theme songs for ABC’s NiteCap and Animal Court . He has also seen success on Broadway, at major live special events, in the Los Angeles theatre and in the recording industry. Read more…