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Sinding, Christian

(Encyclopedia)Sinding, Christian krĭsˈtyän sĭnˈdĭng [key], 1856–1941, Norwegian nationalist composer, best remembered for his lyrical, romantic piano works, including the popular Rustle of Spring. He also w...

Alsop, Marin

(Encyclopedia)Alsop, Marin ôlˈsəp [key], 1956–, American conductor, b. New York City. The daughter of professional musicians, she began playing the piano at two and the violin at five. Alsop started conducting...

Leppard, Raymond John

(Encyclopedia)Leppard, Raymond John, 1927–2019, English-American conductor, composer, musicologist, and harpsicordist, b. London. A prominent scholar as well as a conductor, he was especially known for “realizi...

Khan, Ali Akbar

(Encyclopedia)Khan, Ali Akbar älēˈ ăkˈbär khän [key], 1922–2009, Indian musician, b. Shivpur, East Bengal (now Bangladesh). A master of the sarod, a lutelike 25-stringed N Indian instrument, Khan was born ...

atheism

(Encyclopedia)atheism āˈthē-ĭzˌəm [key], denial of the existence of God or gods and of any supernatural existence, to be distinguished from agnosticism, which holds that the existence cannot be proved. The te...

Donizetti, Gaetano

(Encyclopedia)Donizetti, Gaetano gītäˈnō dōnēdzĕtˈtē [key], 1797–1848, Italian composer. He studied music in Bergamo and Bologna and achieved success with his first opera, Enrico di Borgogna (1818). His ...

Nielsen, Carl

(Encyclopedia)Nielsen, Carl nēlˈsən, Dan. nĭlˈsən [key], 1865–1931, Danish composer. Nielsen was a pupil of Niels Gade at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen. Considered Denmark's foremost composer, he is ...

Lang Lang

(Encyclopedia)Lang Lang, 1982–, Chinese virtuoso pianist. A child prodigy, he studied at the Central Music Conservatory, Beijing, and the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia. Noted for the romantic, emotive nature of ...

Bellini, Vincenzo

(Encyclopedia)Bellini, Vincenzo vēnchānˈtsō bĕl-lēˈnē [key], 1801–35, Italian opera composer. He acquired his musical training from his grandfather and father, and began composing religious and secular mu...

Schnabel, Artur

(Encyclopedia)Schnabel, Artur ärˈto͝or shnäˈbəl [key], 1882–1951, Austrian-American pianist, b. Lipnik, at that time in Austria. He studied (1891–97) with Leschetizky and began his concert tours in Europe...