composer

American  

[kuhm-poh-zer] / kəmˈpoʊ zər /

noun

composers plural

1. a person or thing that composes.

2. a person who writes music.

3. an author.

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composer British  

/ kəmˈpəʊzə /

noun

1. a person who composes music

2. a person or machine that composes anything, esp type for printing

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• composers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of composer

First recorded in 1555–65; compose + -er ¹

Explanation

A composer is an artist who writes music to be played or performed by musicians. A classical composer might work by writing out musical notation and trying things out on the piano. If you're a composer, you most likely write classical, jazz, music for film, or another type of primarily instrumental music, without lyrics. A writer of popular or rock music is more likely to be called a "songwriter." A composer might compose symphonies as a profession, or write short tunes as a hobby. In Old French, composer means "put together, arrange, or write," from com-, "with," and poser, "to place."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

composer composers

Indeed, her 1964 signature hit "Downtown", which sold millions and earned her a Grammy award, had no lyrics when she first heard composer Tony Hatch playing it on the piano.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Phil debut in a program that included the premiere of “The Art of the Goal,” celebrating Los Angeles Football Club, and that was credited jointly to filmmaker Josh Kahn and composer Adam Schoenberg.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

“Lalovavi,” a first opera for both composer Kevin Day and librettist Tifara Brown, is an Afrofuturist fantasy with nods to the “Black Panther” movies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Taking a cue from nickelodeon piano players, composer John Powell steers the mood with a vibrantly eclectic score of sprightly ragtime, violin pathos and popcorn crescendos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Vivaldi’s legacy survived in the somewhat surprising influence he had on another, very different, composer.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Besides Berlioz, the lineup featured works by composers from the 18th to early 20th centuries, such as Franz Joseph Haydn and Paul Dukas, that have long been in the public domain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Its collection methods could use some fine-tuning, however, especially when it comes to works by long-dead composers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Phil and at 67 having become one of the world’s most impressive conductors and composers, he is moving back to L.A., where he will become the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

The backstory of the works by the composers who perished is obviously compelling, but the lightning bolt that struck Conlon first was the music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

What’s more, even very skilled composers decided there were really far too many chords available and that they needed far fewer for their purposes.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• writer