The following is a list of jazz-influenced classical compositions. Classical music has often incorporated elements or material from popular music of the composer's time. Jazz has influenced classical music, particularly early and mid-20th-century composers, including Maurice Ravel. "While Western classical music emphasizes structure, written scores, and faithful interpretation, jazz thrives on improvisation, spontaneity, and individual expression."[1] Classical music is "more refined and structured", "complex and intricate"; whereas Jazz Music is "more spontaneous and free-flowing", "upbeat and lively."[2]
| Composer | Date | Work | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Antheil | 1922 1925 1948 | Jazz Sonata, for piano A Jazz Symphony Piano Sonata No. 4 "Jazz" | |
| Malcolm Arnold | 1954 1959 1974 | Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra, Op. 46 Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Op. 67 Concerto No. 2 for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 115 | |
| Larry Austin | 1960 1961 1971 | Fantasy on a Theme by Berg, for jazz orchestra: 5 saxs, 5 tpts, 4 trbns, perc set, pno, db Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz Soloists (tpt or alt sax; perc set, db) Agape Set, for jazz orchestra: 5 saxs, 5 tpts, 4 trbns, perc set, pno, db | |
| Milton Babbitt | 1957 | All Set | |
| Leonardo Balada | 2007 | Caprichos No. 4 "Quasi Jazz", for solo contrabass and chamber orchestra | |
| Don Banks | 1962 | Trio for horn, violin and piano | |
| Leonard Bernstein | 1941–42 1944 1948–49/1965 1949 1954 1957 1995 | Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Fancy Free Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety Prelude, Fugue and Riffs Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" West Side Story West Side Story Suite | |
| Harrison Birtwistle | 1995 | Panic, for alto saxophone, jazz drum kit and orchestra | |
| Boris Blacher | 1946 1958 1966 1972 1972 | Concerto for Jazz Orchestra Die Gesänge des Seeräubers O'Rourke und seiner Geliebten Sally Brown, beide auf das Felseneiland En Vano Anhelar verschlagen, Op. 56 Plus Minus One for string quartet and jazz ensemble Blues, Espagnola und Rumba philharmonica for 12 cellos Stars and Strings, for jazz ensemble and string orchestra | |
| Marc Blitzstein | 1936–37 1946–48 | The Cradle Will Rock Regina | |
| Claude Bolling | 1975 1975 1977 1978 1980 1981 1983 1984 1987 1989 | Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Concerto for Guitar and Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio California Suite Picnic Suite for Guitar, Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Toot Suite Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio Suite No. 2 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Sonatas for Two Pianists | |
| Aaron Copland | 1920–21 1925 1926 1946 1947–48 1949 1961 | Three Moods for piano Music for the Theater Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Danzón cubano Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra Four Piano Blues Something Wild, film score | |
| Valeri Ibrahimovitsj Saparov | 2010 | 24 Jazz Preludes for piano[3] | |
| Claude Debussy | 1905 | "Reflets dans l'eau" | |
| Harold Farberman | 1980–83 | Concerto for Jazz Drummer and Orchestra | |
| George Gershwin | 1922 1924 1925 1926 1928 1931 1932 1933–34 1935 1937 | Blue Monday Rhapsody in Blue Concerto in F Three Preludes An American in Paris Second Rhapsody Cuban Overture Variations on "I Got Rhythm" Porgy and Bess Hoctor's Ballet | |
| William Gillock | 1968 | Three Jazz piano preludes (for solo piano) | |
| Morton Gould | 1934 1938 1938 1941 | Chorale and Fugue in Jazz American Symphonette No. 2 Boogie Woogie Etude (for solo piano) Boogie the Woogie (for solo piano) | |
| Hans Werner Henze | 1951 1956–57 1968 | Boulevard Solitude Ondine Versuch über Schweine | |
| Paul Hindemith | 1922 | Suite für Klavier | |
| Arthur Honegger | 1921 - 22 1924 1929 | Sonatine, for clarinet (or cello) and piano Concertino for Piano and Orchestra Concerto for Cello and Orchestra | |
| John Ireland | 1930 | Piano Concerto | |
| James P. Johnson | 1927 | Yamekraw, a Negro Rhapsody | |
| Scott Joplin | 1903 1911 | A Guest of Honor Treemonisha | |
| Ernst Krenek | 1926 | Jonny spielt auf, opera | |
| Constant Lambert | 1927 1927 1928–29 1930–31 1949 | Elegiac Blues The Rio Grande Piano Sonata Concerto for Piano and Nine Players Trois pièces nègres pour les touches blanches | |
| Rolf Liebermann | 1954 | Concerto for Jazzband and Symphony Orchestra | |
| Frank Martin | 1940 1956 | Ballade for trombone and piano Études for string orchestra ("Pour le pizzicato") | |
| Bohuslav Martinů | 1927 1928 | La revue de cuisine Jazz Suite | |
| Darius Milhaud | 1920 1922 1923 | Caramel Mou, Op. 68, for piano Trois rag caprices, Op. 78, for piano La création du monde[4] | |
| Robert Morris | 1973 | Not Lilacs | |
| Krzysztof Penderecki | 1971 | Actions, for free-jazz orchestra | |
| Walter Piston | 1954 | Symphony No. 5 | |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1921 1944 | Piano Concerto No. 3 (2nd mvt) Symphony No. 5 (2nd mvt) | |
| Maurice Ravel | 1923 - 27 1929 - 31 1929 - 31 | Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano Piano Concerto for the Left Hand Piano Concerto in G | |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | 1934 | Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini | |
| Erwin Schulhoff | 1921 1927 1935 | Suite for Chamber Orchestra Violin Sonata No. 2 H.M.S. Royal Oak | |
| Gunther Schuller | 1959 1960 1962 | Concertino for jazz quartet and orchestra Variants for jazz quartet and orchestra Journey into Jazz for jazz quintet and chamber orchestra | |
| Mátyás Seiber | 1929 1932 1959 | Jazzolette No. 1, for 2 saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums Jazzolette No. 2, for 2 saxophones, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums Improvisations for Jazz Band and Orchestra (with John Dankworth) | |
| John Serry Sr. | 1955 1964 | American Rhapsody for solo accordion, revised for piano in 2002 Concerto for Free Bass Accordion for solo accordion, revised for piano in 2002 | |
| Dmitri Shostakovich | 1927 1934 1938 | "Tahiti Trot" (based on "Tea for Two") Suite No. 1 for Jazz Orchestra Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra | |
| Elie Siegmeister | 1956 | Clarinet Concerto | |
| William Grant Still | 1924 1927 1930 1930 1930 1934 1935 1935 1936 1937 1937 1940 1941 1945 1947 1948 1957 1958 1963 | Darker America La Guiablesse Sahdji Africa Symphony No. 1 "Afro-American" Blue Steel Kaintuck Three Visions Troubled Island Symphony No. 2 "Song of a New Race" Lenox Avenue Miss Sally's Party A Bayou Legend Symphony No. 5 "Western Hemisphere" Symphony No. 4 "Autochthonous" Miniatures The American Scene Symphony No. 3 "The Sunday Symphony" Highway 1 USA | |
| Karlheinz Stockhausen | 1950 1951 1951 1955–57 1959 1959 1958–60 1965 1974–75 1983 | Drei Lieder Sonatine for violin and piano Kreuzspiel Gruppen Zyklus Refrain Kontakte Mikrophonie II Tierkreis Luzifers Tanz | |
| Igor Stravinsky | 1917–18 1918 1919 1936–37/53 1944 1945 | Ragtime for 11 instruments L'Histoire du soldat Piano-Rag-Music Praeludium Scherzo à la russe Ebony Concerto | |
| Dana Suesse | 1931 1932 1933 1941 1955 | Jazz Nocturne Concerto in Three Rhythms Symphonic Waltzes Concerto for two pianos Jazz Concerto | |
| Michael Tippett | 1970–72 | Symphony No. 3 | |
| Mark-Anthony Turnage | 1993–96 1996–2001 | Blood on the Floor, for jazz quartet and large ensemble Scorched, for jazz trio and orchestra | |
| William Walton | 1922 1925 | Façade Portsmouth Point (overture) | |
| Kurt Weill | 1928 | The Threepenny Opera | |
| Earl Wild | 1973 | Virtuoso Etudes after Gershwin | |
| Alec Wilder | 1939–41 | Octets | |
| Stefan Wolpe | 1950 | Quartet for trumpet, tenor saxophone, percussion, and piano | |
| Bernd Alois Zimmermann | 1954 1967 | Trumpet Concerto: "Nobody knows de trouble I see" for trumpet in C and jazz orchestra Die Befristeten for jazz quintet |