Lefty Composers

Here are some lefty composers:

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel (CPE) Bach
  • Ludwig Van Beethoven
  • John Cage
  • Cole Porter
  • Sergei (or Sergey) Prokofiev
  • Sergei (or Sergey)  Rachmaninoff
  • Maurice Ravel
  • Robert Schumann

Cole (Albert) Porter (1891-1964) is an American composer and songwriter. Unlike most successful Broadway composers, he wrote both the lyrics and the music for his songs. His musicals include Fifty Million Frenchmen, Anything Goes and Can-Can. His numerous hit songs include “Night and Day,” “I Get a Kick out of You” and “I’ve Got You Under my skin.” He also composed scores for films from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre. He achieved success in the 1920s, and by the 1930s he was one of the major songwriters for the Broadway.

After a serious horseback riding accident in 1937, he continued to work despite constant pain. In 1947 he made a triumphant comeback with his most successful musical, Kiss Me, Kate.

If interested for profiles of other classical music composers, please visit Mozart and Classical Music.

 

Lefthy Birthday – Composer John Cage

Famous Lefthander Birthday, September 5

Composer John Cage

American composer John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was not just a musician. He was also a poet, artist and amateur mycologist and mushroom collector. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and non-standard use of musical instruments, he was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde.

Cage is perhaps best known for his 1952 composition “4’33″”, the three movements of which are performed without a single note being played. His teachers included Arnold Schoenberg (1933-35) and Henry Cowell (1933,) both noted for for their radical innovations in music.