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Americans come from every part of the world, so what makes a composer "American?" For purposes of this Web site, the composer must have either been born in American or be a naturalized citizen, and most of the composer's output must have been produced while he/she lived in America. In addition, she/he must generally be regarded as American in musicological contexts. For example, although Schoenberg became a citizen in 1947, he is not considered an American composer.

An even trickier question -- what is an art song? The line between classical song and Broadway tune grows blurrier every day, so I have tended toward inclusion. If a young composer indicates on his Web site that he writes classical music, then I take his/her word for it. My definition also specifies that the accompaniment to the singer be no more than three instruments; the great majority of arts songs are for voice and piano alone.

In the listing below, if the composer has a personal Web site or a page on a larger Web site that provides information about his/her vocal output, I have included the link to that site. If no such site exists and I consider the composer to be very significant in the field, I have included a link to another page on this site.

The last column indicates whether more information can be found in Victoria Villiamil's A Singer's Guide to The American Art Song, 1870 - 1980.

Composers:  Please feel free to send me information about your works and career at  info@americanartsong.org. I will be happy to create either an individual page for you, or add a link to your web page.