Composers awarded knighthoods

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Classical composer and musician. He completed more than 800 works in his life—including outstanding examples of most of the genres of his time: symphonies, concertos, chamber music, opera, and choral music.

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, film editor and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy.

Sir James Paul McCartney is an English musician and songwriter. He gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he was the bassist and keyboardist, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile tenor vocal range and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical, ballads and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in music history.

Sir Richard Starkey, known as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of three others.

German-born British astronomer and composer (1738–1822)

Norwegian composer and pianist (1843–1907)

Indian sitar player (1920–2012)

American conductor and composer (1918–1990)

opera composer (1714–1787)

French composer, organist, conductor and pianist (1835–1921)

American composer and conductor (born 1932)

English composer (1857-1934)

French composer and music theorist (1683–1764)

Italian opera composer (1801–1835)

British theatre composer (born 1948)

Polish pianist, composer, supporter of Poland's independence movements, politician, Prime Minister of reborn Poland (1860–1941)

English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer (1899–1973)

Canadian jazz pianist (1925–2007)

Northern Irish musician

English record producer (1926–2016)

English composer of the Gilbert & Sullivan duo (1842-1900)

Polish composer (1933–2010)

German-American conductor, pianist, and composer (1929–2019)

English composer (1902–1983)

Italian composer and conductor

French composer and conductor

British composer (1944-2013)

English composer and conductor (1934-2016)

Welsh musician and composer (b. 1944)

Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor (1852–1924)

English composer and conductor (1921–2006)

English composer, poet, and author (1883–1953)

German composer (1926–2012)

British composer, teacher and historian (1848–1918)

Polish composer and conductor (1914–1991)

English composer (1905-1996)

British singer and musician

English composer (1934–2022)

Italian, later British composer and music teacher (1846–1916)

English composer and conductor (1891–1975)

British musician (1816-75)

Austrian, later British composer, teacher and musicologist (1885-1974)

British musician (1927-2010)

British composer and conductor (1868-1946)

British composer and pianist (1936-2012)

German composer (1901–1983)

Norwegian composer, choir director and university teacher (1915–2014)

Scottish composer and conductor (born 1959)

French violinist and composer (1849–1895)

German composer, pianist and accompanist

British composer

German-born composer and conductor (1804–1885)

British composer, pianist and musicologist (1875–1940)

British composer and musicologist (1813–1887)

English composer (1840–1901)

British composer (1903–1989)

English conductor and composer (1893-1962)

French organist (1956–2018)

Irish composer, conductor, pianist and organist

English musician and composer (1862–1936)