COMPOSERS from Switzerland

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Swiss Composers of all time. This list of famous Swiss Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Swiss Composers.

1. Siegfried Wagner (1869 - 1930)

With an HPI of 65.02, Siegfried Wagner is the most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages on wikipedia.

Siegfried Helferich Richard Wagner (6 June 1869 – 4 August 1930) was a German composer and conductor, the son of Richard Wagner. He was an opera composer and the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.

2. Sigismond Thalberg (1812 - 1871)

With an HPI of 63.85, Sigismond Thalberg is the 2nd most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Sigismond Thalberg (8 January 1812 – 27 April 1871) was an Austrian composer and one of the most distinguished virtuoso pianists of the 19th century.

3. Frank Martin (1890 - 1974)

With an HPI of 59.42, Frank Martin is the 3rd most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Frank Martin (15 September 1890 – 21 November 1974) was a Swiss composer, who spent much of his life in the Netherlands.

4. Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959)

With an HPI of 58.18, Ernest Bloch is the 4th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Ernest Bloch (; German: [blɔx]; July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. Several of his most notable compositions reflect his Jewish heritage. As well as producing musical scores, Bloch had an academic career that culminated in his recognition as Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley in 1952.

5. Ernest Ansermet (1883 - 1969)

With an HPI of 57.86, Ernest Ansermet is the 5th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (French: [ɛʁnɛst alɛksɑ̃dʁ ɑ̃sɛʁmɛ]; 11 November 1883 – 20 February 1969) was a Swiss conductor.

6. Grock (1880 - 1959)

With an HPI of 57.61, Grock is the 6th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Grock (born Charles Adrien Wettach; 10 January 1880 – 14 July 1959) was a Swiss clown. Called "the king of clowns" and "the greatest of Europe's clowns", Grock was once the most highly paid entertainer in Europe.

7. Joachim Raff (1822 - 1882)

With an HPI of 56.64, Joachim Raff is the 7th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Joseph Joachim Raff (27 May 1822 – 24 or 25 June 1882) was a German-Swiss composer, pedagogue and pianist.

8. Pancho Vladigerov (1899 - 1978)

With an HPI of 55.14, Pancho Vladigerov is the 8th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Pancho Haralanov Vladigerov (or Wladigeroff, Wladigerow, Vladiguerov, Vladigueroff; Bulgarian: Панчо Хараланов Владигеров [ˈpant͡ʃo xɐrɐˈɫanov vɫɐdiˈɡɛrof]; 13 March 1899 – 8 September 1978) was a Bulgarian composer, pedagogue, and pianist. Vladigerov is arguably the most influential Bulgarian composer of all time. He was one of the first to successfully combine idioms of Bulgarian folk music and classical music. Part of the so-called Second Generation Bulgarian Composers, he was among the founding members of the Bulgarian Contemporary Music Society (1933), which later became the Union of Bulgarian Composers. Vladigerov marked the beginning of a number of genres in Bulgarian music, including the violin sonata and the piano trio. He was also a very respected pedagogue; his students include practically all notable Bulgarian composers of the next generation, such as Alexander Raichev, Alexander Yossifov, Stefan Remenkov, and many others, as well as the pianist Alexis Weissenberg.

9. Heinz Holliger (b. 1939)

With an HPI of 54.68, Heinz Holliger is the 9th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Heinz Robert Holliger (born 21 May 1939) is a Swiss composer, virtuoso oboist, and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Classical pieces, but he has regularly engaged in lesser known pieces of Romantic music, as well as his own compositions. He often performed contemporary works with his wife, the harpist Ursula Holliger. Many composers have written works for him, including Messiaen, Berio, Carter, Henze, Krenek, Lutosławski, Martin, Penderecki, Stockhausen and Yun. A noted composer himself, Hollinger has written works such as the opera Schneewittchen (1998).

10. Heinrich Sutermeister (1910 - 1995)

With an HPI of 53.23, Heinrich Sutermeister is the 10th most famous Swiss Composer.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Heinrich Sutermeister (12 August 1910 – 16 March 1995) was a Swiss composer, most famous for his opera Romeo und Julia.