What Makes a Great Composer?
US: 3 November 2026
UK & Europe: 5 January 2027
Why do some composers become great while others are forgotten? Drawing on nearly a millennium of music history, two economists use data to uncover how talent, teachers, creative networks, money, emotions, and historical circumstances shape musical achievement.
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About the Book
Why do we still listen to Mozart’s music but not Salieri’s? Would Nadia Boulanger be better known as a composer than a teacher if she were a man? Why did so many composers move to Vienna, Paris, and London, despite the hardships of city life?
In What Makes a Great Composer?, economists Karol J. Borowiecki and Marc T. Law offer a novel perspective on why some composers and their works have endured while others have not. Drawing on data-driven methods rather than the usual anecdotes and received wisdom regarding the sources of musical genius, they uncover previously unnoticed patterns of creativity.
Spanning nearly a millennium of musical history—from medieval courts and cathedrals to modern concert halls and conservatories—the book shows how the creative lives of composers were molded by opportunity, constraint, talent, and temperament.
Borowiecki and Law consider not only celebrated masters but also forgotten voices, including female composers whose paths were blocked by structural barriers. They explore key determinants of success, including education, cities and migration, war and conflict, and economic incentives. Drawing on a wealth of data gathered over nearly twenty years, they shed light not only on music history but, more broadly, on the conditions that allow creativity to flourish.
Listen to the Music
Read the stories. Hear the music. Explore a chapter-by-chapter selection of musical works and recommended recordings that bring the composers, questions, and discoveries in the book to life.
Follow along as you read—or explore the music on its own.
About the Authors
Karol J. Borowiecki
Karol J. Borowiecki is professor of economics at the University of Southern Denmark and President of the Association for Cultural Economics International. He is the coauthor of The Economics of Art and Culture.
Marc T. Law
Marc T. Law is professor of economics at the University of Vermont and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Cultural Economics.
What Makes a Great Composer?
A Data-Driven Exploration of Music History
Karol J. Borowiecki and Marc T. Law
Princeton University Press · US: 3 November 2026 · UK/Europe: 5 January 2027
