Composer Elodie Lauten, 63

“[Her] style, which incorporated elements of minimalism, pop, jazz, blues, classical composition, electronic music and improvisation and often combined traditional orchestral instruments with ambient sounds like bird song, sirens and amplified heartbeats – defied handy categorization. While not every critic warmed to that style, many praised her as a skilled melodist who could write music of surprising, satisfying consonance in a dissonant age.”