American Contemporary Classical

American Contemporary Classical music is a genre characterized by its innovative blend of traditional classical music elements with modern experimentation. Emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, it drew from minimalism, avant-garde, and electronic music influences. The genre is marked by simplicity, repetition, and phase-shifting rhythms, often featuring piano, strings, and electronic instrumentation. Vocal styles range from chant-like simplicity to extended vocal techniques. This era saw a shift away from traditional orchestral structures, embracing instead a more intimate, chamber music approach. American Contemporary Classical music reflects the cultural upheaval of its time, seeking to break free from traditional forms and create a new, distinctly American sound. Its intersection with pop, jazz, and world music has yielded a unique, eclectic style that continues to influence contemporary music across genres.

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Aaron Jay Kernis
Adolphus Hailstork
Alvin Lucier
Ben Johnston
Bright Sheng
Charles Amirkhanian
David Maslanka
David Tudor
Donal Fox
Easley Blackwood
Frank Ferko
Frank Ticheli
Hannibal Lokumbe
Harold Budd
Harry Partch
James Tenney
John Adams
John Cage
John Corigliano
Jon Appleton
Judith Lang Zaimont
Julius Eastman
La Monte Young
Lou Harrison
Maryanne Amacher
Meredith Monk
Miguel del Aguila
Milton Babbitt
Morten Lauridsen
Morton Feldman
Morton Subotnick
Pauline Oliveros
Philip Glass
Richard Maxfield
Robert Ashley
Robert Een
Ruth Anderson
Sebastian Currier
Stefan Wolpe
Stephen Paulus
Steve Reich
Stuart Dempster
Terry Riley
William Bolcom
Philip Glass
Harold Budd
Adolphus Hailstork
Steve Reich
Meredith Monk
Morten Lauridsen
John Cage
John Adams
Terry Riley
Morton Feldman
John Corigliano
Stephen Paulus
Frank Ticheli
William Bolcom
Pauline Oliveros
David Maslanka
Harry Partch
Julius Eastman
Stuart Dempster
Ben Johnston
Lou Harrison
Robert Ashley
Robert Een
Alvin Lucier
La Monte Young
Bright Sheng
Easley Blackwood
David Tudor
Morton Subotnick
Stefan Wolpe
Aaron Jay Kernis
James Tenney
Milton Babbitt
Frank Ferko
Miguel del Aguila
Maryanne Amacher
Judith Lang Zaimont
Richard Maxfield
Jon Appleton
Hannibal Lokumbe
Charles Amirkhanian
Ruth Anderson
Donal Fox
Sebastian Currier