Classical gay

The 10 Greatest Gay Composers: Mardi Gras Special!

Musical Muscle

Schubert is undoubtedly one of the greats, and possibly the finest songwriter that ever lived. In less than 32 years, he came up with over 600 lieder, nine symphonies, a fair number of masses, quite a not many operas, a magnificent body of chamber music and some exceptional piano works. Under-appreciated in his retain time, Schubert is seen today as one of the leading geniuses of the romantic period. His style, which broke from classical form to examine a more freely rhapsodic compositional method, influenced Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms and he’s frequently cited as key to the progress of generations of songwriters from Mahler to Britten.

The Goss

Although a relatively law-abiding citizen, Schubert had a reputation for drink and kept riotous company with a tight circle of friends. In 1820, the composer and four companions were arrested by the Austrian police on charges of suspected “revolutionary activities”. They were “severely reprimanded”, largely for “inveighing against officials with insulting and opprobrious language”. Of course, somewhere around 1822, Schubert picked up the

The history of classical harmony spans centuries. Over that time, society has had very different ideas about sexual identities (when they verbalized them at all). It goes without saying that it’s unfair to look back in second and breezily apply our modern definition of words like gay, lesbian, pansexual, and the like to historical figures.

And yet. Looking at the historical document, it is clear that many great composers had emotionally and/or physically intimate relationships that didn’t fit into a traditional heterosexual mold, and it feels safe to categorize many of them as falling under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

So here is a list of 27 composers who may have been gender non-conforming, gay, or otherwise non-heterosexual.

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Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

Jean Baptiste Lully: Miserere (1664)

Lully was an Italian-born composer who worked at the extravagant court of Louis XIV. He was a renowned violinist, guitarist, and even dancer.

Lully had amorous relationships with both men and women. He and his wife had six children, and he had a mistress. But he also was attracted to men and became emotionally attached with a page at Versailles.

Same-sex relationships were grudgingly permitted at the Palace

For many, June represents the month of pride; a occasion to celebrate, coach and communicate all that is gender non-conforming, gay and fabulous. Although today organism gay isn’t much of a deal, back in the 50’s it was a dangerous label to have. Throughout history, thousands own lost their lives because they were labeled as ‘gay’ or ‘queer’ and many lived out their true sexual preferences in secrecy. As it’s almost the end of Pride month, I wanted to possess a look at some celebrities from the golden age of Hollywood who were gay, or at least thats what the rumours said. It’s complex to know if all these celebrities, and of course many more, were truly gay, but I wanted to share a several stories just so see how far we’ve come. Joyful pride everyone.

*Disclaimer: Please note that some of the following stories may depict graphic descriptions and behaviours which some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.

Katherine Hepburn

Iconic Hollywood actress and Academy Award-winning performer in films such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond, Katherine Hepburn reportedly had an insatiable

15 LGBTQ+ composers in classical music history that you probably already know

  • Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

    Edward Benjamin Britten is one of the finest composers of English operas, choral works, and songs, many of which he wrote for his life spouse, tenor Sir Peter Pears.

    Britten started writing harmony as young as nine, when he wrote an oratorio. He studied under Frank Bridge, John Ireland and Arthur Benjamin among others, and was also a fine pianist.

    His ground-breaking operas, which include Peter Grimes (1945), and The Turn of the Screw (1954) – and his famous War Requiem – tackle contemporaneous issues around psychology and post-war trauma, as well his retain homosexuality, which was illegal in Britten’s lifetime.

    Britten founded the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk with Pears and librettist Eric Crozier.

  • Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)

    Ethel Smyth was a prolific composer and an active member of the women’s suffrage movement, and she made no secret of her relationships with women.

    Born in South-East London, Smyth studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and there met composers that included Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Clara Schumann and Brahms. Her best-known works are the oper classical gay

    Meet the Man Making Classical Music Homosexual Again

    Oliver Zeffman is everything you wouldn’t expect an orchestral conductor to be. Young, handsome, successfully dressed and devoid of excess ear hair (not to mention a wonderful few decades of age), he’s the thoroughly modern tackle of classical music.

    Zeffman’s pet project, Classical Pride, kicks off this week. Featuring a programme of work from recognizable (and not so know) queer Composers such as Tchaikovsky and Camille Saint-Saens - the concerts will begin at London’s Barbican Centre before heading to the bright lights of the Hollywood Bowl.

    32-year-old Zeffman founded Classical Pride in 2023 in part to highlight the vast contribution of queer composers to the canon, but also to carry classical music to a new audience.

    Esquire met Zeffman ahead of the concerts to learn more about his mission to turn more men into “Debussy Boys”. (His legal title, not ours).

    How did the idea for classical pride arrive about? What was the motivation?

    Frankly, I’m not sure it’s a particularly extraordinary or out-there notion. So many of the most vital and influential musicians in classical song past and give - are Gay. Tchaikovsky, Britten, Barber, Szymanowski,