Philip Glass

Known for his cyclical song structures that rely on repetitive, arpeggio-heavy arrangements, Philip Glass is arguably the most renowned contemporary composer of the past few decades. This can be credited to a combination of his prolificacy and diversity. Glass' range has extended to symphonies, operas, musical theater, concertos, string quartets and dozens of film soundtracks. He's not only a three-time Oscar nominee (for scoring "Notes on a Scandal," "The Hours" and "Kundun"), but he also holds the distinction of being the only composer to ever appear as the featured musical guest on "Saturday Night Live."

"It's been so long since I played in clubs. But any time people are eating and drinking, that's a bad thing. Any musician will tell you that. It doesn't happen so much anymore. I'm kind of protected. But when it did, it was not very pleasant or inspiring."

— Philip Glass