List of famous gay, lesbian or bisexual composers
The following is a list of famous gay, lesbian, or bisexual composers of music from many genres.
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
A
- Ruth Anderson [2]
- Peter Allen [4], once married Liza Minnelli, partnered with Gregory Connell from 1973 till his own death in 1992
B
- Samuel Barber [1],[2]
- Jean Barraque, dated Michel Foucault
- Eve Beglarian [2]
- Leonard Bernstein [1],[4], though married had "indiscretions"
- Chester Biscardi [2]
- Chris de Blasio [2]
- Marc Blitzstein [1],[2],[3]
- Konrad Boehmer
- Pierre Boulez
- David Bowie, [4], came out as bisexual to Playboy in 1975, married Iman in 1992 and said he had been 'a closet heterosexual' in the 70's but that he does not regret it
- Paul Bowles, [4], though married to lesbian Jane Auer
- Baron Benjamin Britten [1],[4], partnered with singer Sir Peter Pears from 1936 till his own death in 1976
- Sylvano Bussoti
- Madelyn Byrne [2]
C
D
E
- Melissa Etheridge [3], publicly came out as a lesbian during President Bill Clinton's first inauguration in January 1993
F
- Wolfgang Fortner
- Lukas Foss
- Lori Freedman [2]
G
H
I
- Janis Ian [3] http://www.janisian.com/wedannounce.html
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
- Harry Partch [2]
- Thomas Pasatieri
- Daniel Pinkham
- Cole Porter [3]
- Francis Poulenc [1],[3],[4] French composer, openly gay from his first serious relationship, that with painter Richard Chanelaire to whom he wrote, "You have changed my life, you are the sunshine of my thirty years, a reason for living and working." He also said, "You know that I am as sincere in my faith, without any messianic screamings, as I am in my Parisian sexuality."
R
S
T
- Hordur Torfason, [4]
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky [1],[3]
- Neil Tennant [3]
- Virgil Thomson [1],[2]
- Nurit Tilles [2]
- Sir Michael Tippett [1],[4], Of his one time partner painter Wilfred Franks Tippett wrote, "Meeting with Wilf was the deepest, most shattering experience of falling in love; and I am quite certain that it was a major factor underlying the discovery of my own individual musical voice...all that love flowed out in the slow movement of my First String Quartet. He was parterned with Meirion Bowen till his own death in 1998.
- 'Blue' Gene Tyranny
U
V
References
-
- included on CRI's Gay American Composers Vol. 1 (ASIN B000005TY0) or 2 (ASIN B000005TYR), or Lesbian American Composers (ASIN B000006HHZ)
- BambooWeb
- Aldrich, Robert and Wotherspoon, Gary (Eds.) (2001). Who's Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day. New York: Routledge. ISBN 041522974X.
