COMPOSER
Virgil Thomson
1896 - 1989

Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassicist, and a composer of "an Olympian blend of humanity and detachment" whose "expressive voice was always carefully muted" until his late opera Lord Byron which, in contrast to all his previous work, exhibited an emotional content that rises to "moments of real passion". Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Virgil Thomson is the 1,256th most popular composer (up from 1,265th in 2019), the 8,558th most popular biography from United States (down from 8,400th in 2019) and the 86th most popular American Composer.
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Among COMPOSERS
Among composers, Virgil Thomson ranks 1,256 out of 1,451. Before him are Mark Snow, Masaaki Suzuki, Antón García Abril, George Alexander Macfarren, Frigyes Hidas, and Franghiz Ali-Zadeh. After him are Alberto Nepomuceno, Rachel Portman, Kōsaku Yamada, Kurt Thomas, Józef Kozłowski, and Georg Friedrich Haas.
Most Popular Composers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsMark Snow
1946 - 2025
HPI: 54.72
Rank: 1,250
Masaaki Suzuki
1954 - Present
HPI: 54.71
Rank: 1,251
Antón García Abril
1933 - 2021
HPI: 54.69
Rank: 1,252
George Alexander Macfarren
1813 - 1887
HPI: 54.58
Rank: 1,253
Frigyes Hidas
1928 - 2007
HPI: 54.53
Rank: 1,254
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
1947 - Present
HPI: 54.53
Rank: 1,255
Virgil Thomson
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 1,256
Alberto Nepomuceno
1864 - 1920
HPI: 54.49
Rank: 1,257
Rachel Portman
1960 - Present
HPI: 54.46
Rank: 1,258
Kōsaku Yamada
1886 - 1965
HPI: 54.44
Rank: 1,259
Kurt Thomas
1904 - 1973
HPI: 54.42
Rank: 1,260
Józef Kozłowski
1757 - 1831
HPI: 54.41
Rank: 1,261
Georg Friedrich Haas
1953 - Present
HPI: 54.34
Rank: 1,262
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1896, Virgil Thomson ranks 231. Before him are Alberto Vargas, Luiz Vinhaes, Natalie Talmadge, Esteban Canal, Ralph Bagnold, and Charles Pahud de Mortanges. After him are Miles Dempsey, Ramón Eguiazábal, John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, Blanche Sweet, Jack Pickford, and Simon Barere. Among people deceased in 1989, Virgil Thomson ranks 241. Before him are Friederich Franzl, Lee Calhoun, King Tubby, Frank Sullivan, M. King Hubbert, and Roberto Figueroa. After him are Hemanta Mukherjee, György Kulin, Asbjørn Ruud, Birago Diop, Duncan Gregg, and John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton.
Others Born in 1896
Go to all RankingsAlberto Vargas
PAINTER
1896 - 1982
HPI: 55.03
Rank: 225
Luiz Vinhaes
SOCCER PLAYER
1896 - 1960
HPI: 54.97
Rank: 226
Natalie Talmadge
ACTOR
1896 - 1969
HPI: 54.83
Rank: 227
Esteban Canal
CHESS PLAYER
1896 - 1981
HPI: 54.71
Rank: 228
Ralph Bagnold
ENGINEER
1896 - 1990
HPI: 54.70
Rank: 229
Charles Pahud de Mortanges
POLITICIAN
1896 - 1971
HPI: 54.53
Rank: 230
Virgil Thomson
COMPOSER
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 231
Miles Dempsey
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1896 - 1969
HPI: 54.49
Rank: 232
Ramón Eguiazábal
SOCCER PLAYER
1896 - 1939
HPI: 54.45
Rank: 233
John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.30
Rank: 234
Blanche Sweet
ACTOR
1896 - 1986
HPI: 54.07
Rank: 235
Jack Pickford
ACTOR
1896 - 1933
HPI: 53.74
Rank: 236
Simon Barere
MUSICIAN
1896 - 1951
HPI: 53.72
Rank: 237
Others Deceased in 1989
Go to all RankingsFriederich Franzl
SOCCER PLAYER
1905 - 1989
HPI: 54.88
Rank: 235
Lee Calhoun
ATHLETE
1933 - 1989
HPI: 54.84
Rank: 236
King Tubby
MUSICIAN
1941 - 1989
HPI: 54.78
Rank: 237
Frank Sullivan
HOCKEY PLAYER
1898 - 1989
HPI: 54.62
Rank: 238
M. King Hubbert
GEOLOGIST
1903 - 1989
HPI: 54.61
Rank: 239
Roberto Figueroa
SOCCER PLAYER
1904 - 1989
HPI: 54.56
Rank: 240
Virgil Thomson
COMPOSER
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 241
Hemanta Mukherjee
SINGER
1920 - 1989
HPI: 54.50
Rank: 242
György Kulin
ASTRONOMER
1905 - 1989
HPI: 54.50
Rank: 243
Asbjørn Ruud
ATHLETE
1919 - 1989
HPI: 54.49
Rank: 244
Birago Diop
WRITER
1908 - 1989
HPI: 54.45
Rank: 245
Duncan Gregg
ATHLETE
1910 - 1989
HPI: 54.35
Rank: 246
John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.30
Rank: 247
In United States
Among people born in United States, Virgil Thomson ranks 8,560 out of 20,380. Before him are Chaim Potok (1929), Alfred Francis Russell (1817), Robert Rubin (1938), Warren Jeffs (1955), Jackson Scholz (1897), and Robert Christgau (1942). After him are Oliver Nelson (1932), Norman Joseph Woodland (1921), Katherine Dunham (1909), Saoirse Ronan (1994), Priscilla Cooper Tyler (1816), and Vera-Ellen (1921).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsChaim Potok
WRITER
1929 - 2002
HPI: 54.52
Rank: 8,554
Alfred Francis Russell
POLITICIAN
1817 - 1884
HPI: 54.52
Rank: 8,555
Robert Rubin
ECONOMIST
1938 - Present
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,556
Warren Jeffs
EXTREMIST
1955 - Present
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,557
Jackson Scholz
ATHLETE
1897 - 1986
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,558
Robert Christgau
WRITER
1942 - Present
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,559
Virgil Thomson
COMPOSER
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,560
Oliver Nelson
MUSICIAN
1932 - 1975
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,561
Norman Joseph Woodland
INVENTOR
1921 - 2012
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,562
Katherine Dunham
DANCER
1909 - 2006
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,563
Saoirse Ronan
ACTOR
1994 - Present
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 8,564
Priscilla Cooper Tyler
POLITICIAN
1816 - 1889
HPI: 54.50
Rank: 8,565
Vera-Ellen
ACTOR
1921 - 1981
HPI: 54.50
Rank: 8,566
Among COMPOSERS In United States
Among composers born in United States, Virgil Thomson ranks 86. Before him are Frank Churchill (1901), David Diamond (1915), Milton Babbitt (1916), William Schuman (1910), Leigh Harline (1907), and Mark Snow (1946). After him are Marco Beltrami (1966), H. C. Robbins Landon (1926), Florence Price (1887), Vincent Youmans (1898), Pauline Oliveros (1932), and Conlon Nancarrow (1912).
Frank Churchill
1901 - 1942
HPI: 55.20
Rank: 80
David Diamond
1915 - 2005
HPI: 55.20
Rank: 81
Milton Babbitt
1916 - 2011
HPI: 54.96
Rank: 82
William Schuman
1910 - 1992
HPI: 54.83
Rank: 83
Leigh Harline
1907 - 1969
HPI: 54.82
Rank: 84
Mark Snow
1946 - 2025
HPI: 54.72
Rank: 85
Virgil Thomson
1896 - 1989
HPI: 54.51
Rank: 86
Marco Beltrami
1966 - Present
HPI: 54.34
Rank: 87
H. C. Robbins Landon
1926 - 2009
HPI: 54.28
Rank: 88
Florence Price
1887 - 1953
HPI: 54.13
Rank: 89
Vincent Youmans
1898 - 1946
HPI: 54.08
Rank: 90
Pauline Oliveros
1932 - 2016
HPI: 54.00
Rank: 91
Conlon Nancarrow
1912 - 1997
HPI: 53.88
Rank: 92