List of French composers

This is an alphabetical list of composers from France.

A–B



 * Eryck Abecassis (born 1956)
 * Jean-Baptiste Accolay (1833–1900)
 * Frédéric Acquaviva (born 1967)
 * Adolphe Adam (1803–1856)
 * François d'Agincourt (1684–1758)
 * Léopold Aimon (1779–1866)
 * Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
 * Paul Alday (c. 1763 – 1835)
 * Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813–1888)
 * Joseph-Henri Altès (1826–1895)
 * Jean-Claude Amiot (born 1939)
 * Gilbert Amy (born 1936)
 * Édouard Ignace Andlauer (1830–1909)
 * Jean-Henri d'Anglebert (1629–1691)
 * Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1889)
 * Daniel Auber (1782–1871)
 * Jacques Aubert (1689–1753)
 * Louis Aubert (1877–1968)
 * Olivier Aubert (1763–c.1830)
 * Tony Aubin (1907–1981)
 * Edmond Audran (1840–1901)
 * Georges Auric (1899–1983)
 * Artus Aux-Cousteaux (c. 1590 – 1656)
 * Nicolas Bacri (born 1961)
 * Pierre Baillot (1771–1842)
 * Claude Balbastre (1724–1799)
 * Auguste Barbereau (1799–1879)
 * Jean Barraqué (1928–1973)
 * Yves Baudrier (1906-1988)
 * François Bazin (1816–1878)
 * Désiré Beaulieu (1791–1863)
 * Hector Berlioz (1803–1869)
 * Louise Bertin (1805–1877)
 * Christophe Bertrand (1981–2010)
 * Henri Betti (1917–2005)
 * Georges Bizet (1838–1875)
 * Adolphe Blanc (1828–1885)
 * Nicolas-Charles Bochsa (1789–1856)
 * François-Adrien Boieldieu (1775–1834)
 * Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689–1755)
 * Michel Blavet (1700–1768)
 * Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897)
 * Claude Bolling (1930–2020)
 * Mélanie Bonis (1858–1937)
 * Charles Bordes (1863–1909)
 * Lili Boulanger (1893–1918)
 * Nadia Boulanger (1887–1979)
 * Pierre Boulez (1925–2016)
 * Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de St George (1745–1799)
 * Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (1840–1910)
 * Laurent Boutonnat (born 1961)
 * Eugène Bozza (1905–1991)
 * Jean-Baptiste Bréval (1753–1823)
 * Antoine Brumel (1460 – 1515 ?)
 * Clément Broutin (1851–1889)
 * Alfred Bruneau (1857–1934)
 * Henri Büsser (1872–1973)

C–D



 * André Campra (1660–1744)
 * Joseph Canteloube (1879–1957)
 * André Caplet (1878–1925)
 * Jacques Castérède (1926–2014)
 * Alexis de Castillon (1838–1873)
 * Charles Simon Catel (1773–1830)
 * Pierre Certon (c.1510/20–1572)
 * Emmanuel Chabrier (1841–1894)
 * Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944)
 * Jacques Champion de Chambonnières (c. 1601 – 1672)
 * Gustave Charpentier (1860–1956)
 * Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704)
 * Ernest Chausson (1855–1899)
 * Charles-Alexis Chauvet (1837–1871)
 * Nicolas Chedeville (1705–1782)
 * Hedwige Chrétien (1859–1944)
 * Aloÿs Claussmann (1850–1926)
 * Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676–1749)
 * Michel Colombier (1939–2004)
 * Loÿset Compère (c. 1445 – 1518)
 * Napoléon Coste (1805–1883)
 * Bruno Coulais (born 1954)
 * François Couperin (1668–1733)
 * Louis Couperin (c. 1626 – 1661)
 * Jean Cras (1879–1932)
 * Ferdinand de Craywinckel (1820 – c. 1888)
 * Nicolas Dalayrac (1753–1809)
 * Jean-Michel Damase (1928–2013)
 * Jules Danbé (1840–1905)
 * Charles Dancla (1817–1907)
 * Jean-François Dandrieu (c. 1682 – 1738)
 * Jean-Henri d'Anglebert (1629–1691)
 * Adolphe Danhauser (1835–1896)
 * Louis-Claude Daquin (1694–1772)
 * Félicien David (1810–1876)
 * Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
 * Louis Deffès (1819–1900)
 * Michel Richard Delalande (1657–1726)
 * Georges Delerue (1925–1992)
 * Léo Delibes (1836–1891)
 * Charles Delioux (1825–1915)
 * Jeanne Demessieux (1921–1968)
 * Alfred Desenclos (1912–1971)
 * Adolphe Deslandres (1840–1911)
 * Alexandre Desplat (born 1961)
 * Louis Diémer (1843–1919)
 * Victor Dourlen (1780–1864)
 * Théodore Dubois (1837–1924)
 * François Dufault (before 1604 – c.1672)
 * Guillaume Dufay (c. 1397 – 1474)
 * Maurice Duhamel (1884–1940)
 * Paul Dukas (1865–1935)
 * Henri Duparc (1848–1933)
 * Gabriel Dupont (1878–1914)
 * Jean-Louis Duport (1749–1819)
 * Jean-Pierre Duport (1741–1818)
 * Marcel Dupré (1886–1971)
 * Émile Durand (1830–1903)
 * Joël-François Durand (born 1954)
 * Louis Durey (1888–1979)
 * Marie-Madeleine Duruflé (1921–1999)
 * Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986)
 * Pascal Dusapin (born 1955)
 * Henri Dutilleux (1916–2013)
 * Hugues Dufourt (born 1943)
 * Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy (c. 1802 – c. 1880)

E–G



 * André-Joseph Exaudet (1710–1762)
 * Ernest Fanelli (1860–1917)
 * Louise Farrenc (1804–1875)
 * Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
 * Antoine Forqueray (1671–1745)
 * Jean Françaix (1912–1997)
 * César Franck (1822–1890)
 * Raymond Gallois-Montbrun (1918–1994)
 * Jacques Gallot (c. 1625 – c. 1695)
 * Pedro Garcia-Velasquez (born 1984)
 * Denis Gaultier (1603–1672)
 * André Gedalge (1856–1926)
 * Henri Ghys (1839–1908)
 * Benjamin Godard (1849–1895)
 * Nicolas Gombert (c. 1495 – c. 1560)
 * François Joseph Gossec (1734–1829)
 * Charles Gounod (1818–1893)
 * Théodore Gouvy (1819–1898)
 * Jacques de Gouy (c.1610 – after 1650)
 * Nicolas de Grigny (1672–1703)
 * Gérard Grisey (1946–1998)
 * Gabriel Grovlez (1879–1944)
 * Louis-Gabriel Guillemain (1705–1770)
 * Jean Guillou (1930–2019)
 * Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911)

H–K



 * Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947)
 * Fromental Halévy (1799–1862)
 * Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900)
 * Guy d'Hardelot (1858–1936)
 * Lucien Haudebert (1877–1963)
 * Pierre Henry (1927–2017)
 * Ferdinand Hérold (1791–1833)
 * Louis de Caix d'Hervelois (c. 1670 – c. 1760)
 * Augusta Holmès (1847–1903)
 * Arthur Honegger (1892–1955)
 * Jacques-Martin Hotteterre (1674–1763)
 * Jean Huré (1877–1930)
 * Jacques Ibert (1890–1962)
 * Vincent d'Indy (1851–1931)
 * H. Maurice Jacquet (1886–1954)
 * Hyacinthe Jadin (1776–1800)
 * Louis-Emmanuel Jadin (1768–1853)
 * Clément Janequin (c. 1485 – 1558)
 * Jean Michel Jarre (born 1948)
 * Maurice Jarre (1924–2009)
 * André Jolivet (1905–1974)
 * Maurice Journeau (1898–1999)
 * Louis Antoine Jullien (1812–1860)
 * Cyprien Katsaris (born 1951)
 * Eugène Ketterer (1831–1870)
 * Charles Koechlin (1867–1950)
 * Joseph-François Kremer (born 1954)
 * Léon Charles François Kreutzer (1817—1868)
 * Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766–1831)

L



 * Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729)
 * Sophie Lacaze (born 1963)
 * Théodore Lack (1846–1921)
 * Louis Lacombe (1818–1884)
 * Paul Ladmirault (1877–1944)
 * Édouard Lalo (1823–1892)
 * Michel Lambert (1610–1696)
 * Georges Lamothe (1842–1894)
 * Jean Langlais (1907–1991)
 * Marcel Lanquetuit (1894–1985)
 * Christian Lauba (born 1952)
 * Jean-François Le Sueur (1760–1837)
 * Nicolas Lebègue (c. 1631 – 1702), also "Le Bègue"
 * Jean-Marie Leclair (1697–1764)
 * Jean-Marie Leclair the younger (1703–1777)
 * Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817–1869)
 * Paul Le Flem (1881–1984)
 * Michel Legrand (1932–2019)
 * Jean-Pierre Leguay (born 1939)
 * Jacques Leguerney (1906–1997)
 * Jean-Baptiste Lemire (1867–1945)
 * Léonin (1150s – c. 1201)
 * Fabien Lévy (born 1968)
 * Gaston Litaize (1909–1991)
 * Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687)

M–N



 * Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – 1377)
 * Albéric Magnard (1865–1914)
 * Jean-Yves Malmasson (born 1963)
 * Pierre de Manchicourt (c. 1510 – 1564)
 * Marin Marais (1656–1728)
 * Louis Marchand (1669–1732)
 * Victor Massé (1822–1884)
 * Jules Massenet (1842–1912)
 * Paule Maurice (1910–1967)
 * Jacques Féréol Mazas (1782–1849)
 * Jules Mazellier (1879–1959)
 * Stephane Meer (born 1951)
 * Étienne Méhul (1763–1817)
 * Félicien Menu de Ménil (1860–1930)
 * Max Méreaux (born 1946)
 * Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)
 * Jean-Christian Michel (born 1938)
 * Darius Milhaud (1892–1974)
 * Jean-Joseph de Mondonville (1711–1772)
 * Jacques-Louis Monod (1927–2020)
 * Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667–1737)
 * Léon Moreau (1870–1946)
 * Pierre Montan Berton (1727–1780)
 * Étienne Moulinié (1599–1667)
 * Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682–1738)
 * Jean Mouton (c. 1459 – 1522)
 * Tristan Murail (born 1947)
 * François Joseph Naderman (1781–1835)

O–P

 * Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880)
 * Joseph O'Kelly (1828–1885)
 * André George Louis Onslow (1784–1853)
 * Émile Paladilhe (1844–1926)
 * Paul Paray (1886–1979)
 * Pérotin (c. 1160 – c. 1230)
 * Jean-Louis Petit (born 1937)
 * Ninot le Petit (fl. c. 1500–1520)
 * Georges Pfeiffer (1835–1908)
 * François-André Danican Philidor (1726–1795)
 * Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937)
 * Auguste Pilati (1810–1877)
 * Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)
 * Jacques de la Presle (1888–1969)
 * Josquin des Prez (c. 1450 – 1521)
 * Pierre Pincemaille (1956–2018)

R–S



 * Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
 * Jean-Marie Raoul (1766–1837)
 * Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
 * Jean-Henri Ravina (1818–1906)
 * Jean-Féry Rebel (1666–1747)
 * Rhené-Baton (1879–1940)
 * Jean-Claude Risset (1938–2016)
 * Théodore Ritter (1840–1887)
 * Pierre Rode (1774–1830)
 * Joseph Guy Ropartz (1864–1955)
 * Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760–1836)
 * Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)
 * Albert Roussel (1869–1937)
 * Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer (c. 1705 – 1755)
 * F. Rubinet (fl 1482–1507)
 * Pierre de La Rue (c. 1452 – 1518)
 * Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (c. 1640 – c. 1700)
 * Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
 * Gustave Samazeuilh (1877–1967)
 * Pierre Sancan (1916–2008)
 * Erik Satie (1866–1925)
 * Henri Sauguet (1901–1989)
 * Alice Sauvrezis (1866–1946)
 * Charles Eugène Sauzay (1809–1901)
 * Pierre Schaeffer (1910–1995)
 * Florent Schmitt (1870–1958)
 * Claudin de Sermisy (c. 1490 – 1562)
 * Gaston Serpette (1846–1904)
 * Éric Serra (born 1959)
 * Déodat de Séverac (1872–1921)

T–Y

 * Walter Taieb (born 1973)
 * Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983)
 * Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986)
 * Claude Terrasse (1867–1923)
 * Ambroise Thomas (1811–1896)
 * Charles Tournemire (1870–1939)
 * Edgard Varèse (1883–1965)
 * Pauline Viardot (1821–1910)
 * Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
 * Robert de Visée (c. 1655 – 1732–33)
 * Louis Vuillemin (1879–1929)
 * Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937)
 * Jules Auguste Wiernsberger (1857–1925)
 * Michèl Yost (1754–1786)