The Most Famous
COMPOSERS from Croatia
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Croatian Composers of all time. This list of famous Croatian Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Franz von Suppé (1819 - 1895)
With an HPI of 64.17, Franz von Suppé is the most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages on wikipedia.
Franz von Suppé, born Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo de Suppé (18 April 1819 – 21 May 1895) was an Austrian composer of light operas and other theatre music. He came from the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now part of Croatia). A composer and conductor of the Romantic period, he is notable for his four dozen operettas, including the first operetta to a German libretto. Some of them remain in the repertory, particularly in German-speaking countries, and he composed a substantial quantity of church music, but he is now chiefly known for his overtures, which remain popular in the concert hall and on record. Among the best-known are Poet and Peasant, Light Cavalry, Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna and Pique Dame.
2. Luigi Dallapiccola (1904 - 1975)
With an HPI of 58.75, Luigi Dallapiccola is the 2nd most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
Luigi Dallapiccola (3 February 1904 – 19 February 1975) was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions.
3. Ivan Zajc (1832 - 1914)
With an HPI of 53.91, Ivan Zajc is the 3rd most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Ivan von Zajc (also Croatian: Ivan plemeniti Zajc, Italian: Giovanni de Zaytz; pronounced [ǐʋan zâjts]; August 3, 1832 – December 16, 1914), was a Croatian composer, conductor, director, and teacher who dominated Croatia's musical culture for over forty years. Through his artistic and institutional reform efforts, he is credited with its revitalization and refinement, paving the way for new and significant Croatian musical achievements in the 20th century. He is often called the Croatian Verdi.
4. Jakov Gotovac (1895 - 1982)
With an HPI of 53.28, Jakov Gotovac is the 4th most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Jakov Gotovac (Croatian pronunciation: [jâkoʋ gǒtovat͡s]; October 11, 1895 – October 16, 1982) was a Croatian composer and conductor of classical music. His comedic opera, Ero s onoga svijeta (Ero the Joker), Croatia's best-known opera, was first performed in Zagreb in 1935.
5. Vatroslav Lisinski (1819 - 1854)
With an HPI of 51.11, Vatroslav Lisinski is the 5th most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Vatroslav Lisinski (Croatian: [vâtroslaːv lisǐnskiː], 8 July 1819 – 31 May 1854) was a Croatian composer. Lisinski was born Ignatius Fuchs to a German Jewish family. He would later change his name to Vatroslav Lisinski, which is a Croatian calque of his original name. For a time he worked as a clerk at the Tabula Banalis in Zagreb. Lisinski composed the first Croatian opera, Love and Malice (1846), which he wrote at the urging of Alberto Ognjen Štriga, and Porin (1851) as well as numerous works for orchestra, choir and soloists. The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall is named after him. He was also one of the founders of Illyrism, a movement that advocated the importance of Croatian and more generally South Slavic cultural heritage, as a reaction to Magyarisation during the Austro-Hungarian rule. Lisinski died in Zagreb on 31 May 1854 and was buried at the Mirogoj Cemetery. The international train EN 498/499 connecting Zagreb and Munich is named Lisinski.
6. Josip Runjanin (1821 - 1878)
With an HPI of 51.10, Josip Runjanin is the 6th most famous Croatian Composer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Josip Runjanin (Serbian: Јосиф Руњанин, Josif Runjanin; 8 December 1821 – 2 February 1878) was a Croatian Serb soldier and composer from the Austrian Empire best known for composing the melody of Lijepa naša domovino, which later became the Croatian national anthem.
Pantheon has 6 people classified as composers born between 1819 and 1904. Of these 6, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased composers include Franz von Suppé, Luigi Dallapiccola, and Ivan Zajc.
Deceased Composers
Go to all Rankings
Franz von Suppé
1819 - 1895
HPI: 64.17
Luigi Dallapiccola
1904 - 1975
HPI: 58.75
Ivan Zajc
1832 - 1914
HPI: 53.91
Jakov Gotovac
1895 - 1982
HPI: 53.28
Vatroslav Lisinski
1819 - 1854
HPI: 51.11
Josip Runjanin
1821 - 1878
HPI: 51.10
Which Composers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 6 most globally memorable Composers since 1700.
