Beyond Tchaikovsky
Expand your choreographic horizons with these five groundbreaking modern composers who are redefining the soundscape of contemporary ballet.
For generations, the majestic scores of Tchaikovsky, Delibes, and Stravinsky have been the bedrock of classical ballet. While these masterpieces remain timeless, the world of dance is constantly evolving—and its music is too. Today's choreographers are increasingly turning to modern composers whose innovative works offer fresh emotional depth, complex rhythms, and atmospheric soundscapes that challenge and inspire dancers and audiences alike.
Ready to break from tradition and find the perfect score for your next piece? Let's explore five modern composers who are bringing a thrilling new energy to the ballet studio.
1. Missy Mazzoli
As one of the most performed modern classical composers in the world, Missy Mazzoli writes music that is both fiercely intelligent and viscerally powerful. Her compositions often feature driving, repetitive rhythms that build into breathtaking crescendos, creating a perfect foundation for athletic, emotionally charged movement.
Her work is characterized by a blend of electronic and acoustic elements, creating worlds that feel both ancient and futuristic. For choreographers, Mazzoli's music offers a clear narrative arc and a pulsing energy that dancers can physically latch onto.
Start with:
"Vespers for a New Dark Age" - A haunting, percussive, and powerful work for amplified ensemble and female voices. Perfect for a piece exploring themes of ritual, community, or dystopian futures.
2. Jóhann Jóhannsson
Though tragically no longer with us, the Icelandic composer's legacy offers a treasure trove for ballet creators. Jóhannsson mastered the art of the "maximalist minimalist"—sparse, simple motifs that expand into vast, emotional landscapes. His music is profoundly cinematic, evoking immense spaces, deep sorrow, and fragile beauty.
His scores are ideal for contemporary ballet that prioritizes atmosphere, tension, and release over strict narrative. The slow, deliberate pace of his work allows for sustained, fluid movement and deep emotional connection.
Start with:
"The Drowned World" (from the album 'IBM 1401, A User's Manual') - A stunning, elegiac piece that blends string orchestra with vintage electronics. Ideal for a poignant pas de deux or a work about memory and loss.
3. Anna Þorvaldsdóttir (Anna Thorvaldsdottir)
Icelandic composer Anna Þorvaldsdóttir creates music that feels less like a composition and more like a force of nature. Her works are vast, immersive environments where sound morphs and evolves organically, like lava flow or glacial shifts. She uses extended techniques and unique textures to create a sense of timelessness and immense scale.
For ballet, her music is challenging but incredibly rewarding. It demands a departure from literal interpretation and invites choreographers to think in terms of abstract shapes, group dynamics, and the raw physicality of weight and effort.
Start with:
"Metacosmos" - A piece that contemplates the pull of gravity and light at the edge of a black hole. Use it to create a ballet of immense tension and release, with dancers moving as celestial bodies or elemental particles.
4. Nils Frahm
German musician Nils Frahm sits at the intersection of modern classical and ambient electronic music. He is renowned for his intimate and hypnotic compositions, often built around prepared pianos, analog synthesizers, and mesmerizing loops. His music feels both improvisational and meticulously crafted.
Frahm's work is perfect for more intimate ballet productions or sections that require subtlety and intricate, detailed movement. The rhythmic pulse in his minimalist patterns is excellent for intricate footwork and can support both solos and intricate ensemble work.
Start with:
"Says" - Built on a looping synth arpeggio that grows in intensity and texture, this track is a masterclass in minimalism and build. Ideal for a piece that starts with a single dancer and gradually builds into a powerful, complex ensemble finale.
5. Bryce Dessner
Best known as the guitarist for the rock band The National, Bryce Dessner is also a celebrated classical composer with a distinctly American voice. His music is rhythmically vibrant, melodically rich, and often draws on folk influences. It possesses a raw, earthy energy that feels both urgent and expansive.
Dessner's compositions are fantastic for high-energy, athletic ballet. They often feature propulsive string writing and complex, interlocking rhythms that can drive dynamic, powerful choreography with a modern, almost folk-like sensibility.
Start with:
"Aheym" (Yiddish for "homeward") - A thrilling, explosive piece for string quartet that is both fiercely rhythmic and deeply lyrical. Perfect for a piece about journey, heritage, or raw, unrestrained energy.
Your Next Movement Awaits
The next great ballet score might not be in a century-old orchestral suite, but in the vibrant, evolving world of modern classical music. These five composers are just the beginning. By venturing beyond the traditional canon, you open up a universe of new sounds, emotions, and stories to tell through movement. So put on some headphones, press play on a new composer, and see where the music takes you. The future of ballet sounds incredible.
