A canon is a finite set of works that have proven, through repeated listening, performance reality, and historical pressure to matter structurally.
Canon of Contemporary Symphonies
-Thomas Ades: Tevot
-Kalevi Aho: Symphony 10
-Luciano Berio: Sinfonia
-Elliott Carter: Symphonia
-Gloria Coates: Symphony 4
-Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony 10
-Andris Dzenitis: Symphony 3
-Henryk Gorecki: Symphony 3
-Hans-Werner Henze: Symphony 7
-Thomas Larcher: Symphony 2
-Jimmy Lopez Bellido: Symphony 5
-Witold Lutoslawski: Symphony 4
-James MacMillan: Symphony 5
-Krzysztof Meyer: Symphony 6
-Onute Narbutaite: Symphony 2
-Pehr Henrik Nordgren: Symphony 3
-Per Norgärd: Symphony 3
-Arvo Pärt: Symphony 3
-Krzysztof Penderecki: Symphony 7
-Allan Pettersson: Symphony 7
-John Pickard: Symphony 5
-Einojuhani Rautavaara: Symphony 7
-Aulis Sallinen: Symphony 6
-Alfred Schnittke: Symphony 5
-Valentin Silvestrov: Symphony 5
-Erkki-Sven Tuur: Symphony 9
-Carl Vine: Symphony 6
-Charles Wuorinen : Symphony 8
-Xiaogang Ye: Symphony 3
-Isang Yun: Symphony 4
Canon of Orchestral Works (without concertante works)
-John Adams: Harmonielehre 1985
-John Luther Adams: Become Ocean 2013
-Dieter Ammann: Glut 2015-2016
-Harrison Birtwistle: Earth Dances 1985-1986
-Pierre Boulez: Répons 1981-1984
-Elliott Carter: Concerto for orchestra 1969
-Unsuk Chin: Rocana 2008
-Anna Clyne: Within her Arms 2008-2009
-Chaya Czernowin: The Quiet 2010
-James Dillon: The Gates 2016
-Pascal Dusapin: 7 Solos for orchestra 1992-2009
-Henri Dutilleux: Timbres, Espace, Mouvement 1978
-Morton Feldman: Coptic Light 1985
-Luca Francesconi: Wanderer 1998-1999
-Gérard Grisey: Transitoires 1980-1981
-Sofia Gubaidulina: The Wrath of God 2020
-Hans-Werner Henze: Barcarola 1979
-Toshio Hosokawa: Blossoming II 2011
-Philippe Hurel: Nuit de Lune 2021-2022
-Juste Janulyte: Apnea 2021
-Giya Kancheli: Trauerfarbenes Land 1994
-Lei Liang: A thousand Mountains, A Million Streams 2017
-György Ligeti: Lontano 1967
-Magnus Lindberg: Aura 1994
-Jimmy Lopez Bellido: Peru negro 2012
-Alvin Lucier: Diamonds 1999
-Philippe Manoury: Anticipations 2019
-Zibuokle Martinaityte: Ex Tenebris Lux 2021
-Tristan Murail: Gondwana 1980
-Per Norgärd: Voyage into the Golden Screen 1968
-Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Britten 1977
-Victoria Poleva: White Interment 2002
-Kaija Saariaho: A la Fumée 1990
-Giacinto Scelsi: Konx-Om-Pax 1969
-Chiyoko Szlavnics: Wind in the Ceiling 2004-2005
-Toru Takemitsu: A Flock descending into the Pentagonal Garden 1977
-Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Aeriality 2011
-Mark-Anthony Turnage: Speranza 2011-2012
-Erkki-Sven Tuur: Crystallisatio 1995
-Max Vinetz: Breaking Day 2024
-Jörg Widmann: Armonica 2007
-Iannis Xenakis: Jonchaies 1977
Canon of Contemporary Violin Concertos
-Dieter Ammann: Unbalanced Stability
-Gavin Bryars: The Bulls of Bashan
-Edith Canat de Chizy: Exultet
-Christopher Cerrone: Breaks and Breaks
-Unsuk Chin: VC 2 Scherben der Stille
-Brett Dean: The lost Art of Letter Writing
-Pascal Dusapin: Ascent
-Henri Dutilleux: L’Arbre des Songes
-Peter Eötvös: VC 3 Alhambra
-Ivan Fedele: L’Orizzonte di Elettra
-Luca Francesconi: Duende
-Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium
-Toshio Hosokawa: Genesis
-György Ligeti: VC
-Liza Lim: Speak, be silent
-Philippe Manoury: Synapse
-Zibuokle Martinaityte: Ekaggata
-Marc Monnet: …Mouvements, Imprévus et…
-Akira Nishimura: After Glow
-Per Nörgard: Helle Nacht
-Gabriela Ortiz: Altar de Cuerda
-Camille Pépin: Le Sommeil a pris son empreinte
-Enno Poppe: Schnur
-Wolfgang Rihm: Lichtes Spiel
-Kaija Saariaho: Graal Theatre
-Rebecca Saunders: Still
-Giacinto Scelsi: Anahit
-Salvatore Sciarrino: Veiled by the black Lake
-Mark-Anthony Turnage: Mambo Blues and Tarantella
-Peteris Vasks: Distant Light
Canon of Contemporary Ensemble Works
1 John Luther Adams: Canticles of the Sky for cellos and ensemble 2015
2 Peter Adriaansz: Environments I-III 2017-2019
3 Julian Anderson: Book of Hours 2004
4 Mark Andre: Riss I 2016-2017
5 Joanna Bailie: 1979 2023
6 Christophe Bertrand: Scales 2008-2009
7 Harrison Birtwistle: The Cry of Anubis 1994
8 Pierre Boulez: Sur Incises 1996-1998
9 Unsuk Chin: Graffiti 2012-2013
10 Donnacha Dennehy: Land of Winter 2024
11 Julius Eastman: Femenine 1974
12 Gérard Grisey: Partiels 1975
13 Georg Friedrich Haas: Weiter und weiter und weiter 2022
14 Elis Hallik: Like a Swan 2022
15 Jonathan Harvey: Death of Light/Light of Death 1998
16 Toshio Hosokawa: Voyage X 2009
17 Lisa Illean: Arcing, Stilling, Bending, Gathering 2022
18 Michael Jarrell: La Chambre aux Echos 2010
19 Catherine Lamb: Curva Triangulus 2018-2021
20 Lei Liang: Bamboo Lights 2013
21 Eden Lonsdale: Whirling 2022
22 Bruno Mantovani: Le sette Chiese 2002
23 Zibuokle Martinaityte: Solastalgia 2020
24 Tristan Murail: Serendib 1992
25 Enno Poppe: Speicher I-VI 2010-2013
26 Steve Reich: Music for 18 musicians 1974-1976
27 Wolfgang Rihm: Jagden und Formen 1995
28 Terry Riley: In C 1964
29 Chiyoko Szlavnics: Memory Spaces 2017; rev. 2023
30 Iannis Xenakis: Akrata 1964-1965
Canon of Contemporary String Quartets
-John Luther Adams: Everything that rises
-Thomas Ades: Arcadiana
-Mark Andre: SQ-IV
-James Dillon: SQ 6
-Pascal Dusapin: SQ 5
-Morton Feldman: SQ 2
-Brian Ferneyhough: SQ 6
-Inti Figgis-Vizueta: Branching Patterns
-Osvaldo Golijov: Yiddishbook
-Georg Friedrich Haas: SQ 8
-Jonathan Harvey: SQ 4
-Toshio Hosokawa: Blossoming
-Clara Iannotta: Earthling-dead Wasps
-György Kurtag: Officium breve
-Helmut Lachenmann: Grido
-Catherine Lamb: Divisio Spiralis
-Thomas Larcher: Madhares
-Lei Liang: Serashi Fragments
-György Ligeti: SQ 2
-Eden Lonsdale: Three Offerings
-Alvin Lucier: Disappearances
-Marc Monnet: SQ 10
-Phil Niblock: Exploratory
-Hector Parra: SQ 3
-Enno Poppe: Freizeit
-Horatiu Radulescu: SQ 5
-Kory Reeder: Homestead
-Steve Reich: Different Trains
-Wolfgang Rihm: SQ 3
-Terry Riley: Salome Dances
-Giacinto Scelsi: SQ 4
-Jacopo Baboni Schilingi: De la Nature du Sacre
-Alfred Schnittke: SQ 4
-Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution
-Chiyoko Szlavnics: Gradients of Detail
-Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Enigma
-Max Vinetz: Wax Catalog
-Kevin Volans: SQ 9
-Jörg Widmann: SQ 6
-Iannis Xenakis: Tetras
Canon of Electronic Music
-Milton Babbitt: Occasional Variations for synthesized tape 1968-1971
-Natasha Barrett: Puzzle Wood 1994, Trade Winds 2004-2006
-Richard Barrett: Pralaya 2003, Disquiet 2018
-Luciano Berio: Omaggio a Joyce 1958
-John Chowning: Turenas 1972, Stria 1977
-Luc Ferrari: Tautologos 1-2 1961, Presque Rien I 1969-1970, Petite Symphonie pour un Paysage de Printemps 1973-1974, Symphonie déchirée 1994-1998
-Alvin Lucier: Sitting in a Room 1968, Music on a long thin Wire 1977
-Arne Nordheim: Warszawa 1968, Poly-Poly 1970
-Pauline Oliveros: Time Projections 1961, Mnemonics I-V 1964-1966, 50/50 Heads 1967-1970, 50/50 Tails 1967-1970
-Bernard Parmeggiani: La Roue Ferris 1971, Chants Magnétiques 1974, De Natura Sonoris 1975, Stries 1980, La Création du Monde 1984
-Eliane Radigue: Adnos I-III 1974-1982, Trilogie de la Mort 1988-1993
-Steve Reich: Come Out 1966, Pendulum Music 1968 rev. 1973
-Laurie Spiegel: The expanding Universe 1980, Unseen Worlds 1991
-Karlheinz Stockhausen: Mikrophonie 1964, Hymnen 1969, Sirius 1975-1977, Cosmic Pulses (from Klang) 2004-2007
-Vladimir Ussachevsky: Wireless fantasy 1960, Of Wood and Brass 1965
-Charles Wuorinen: Time’s Encomium 1968
-Iannis Xenakis: Orient-Occident, La Légende d’Eer 1977
Canon of Electro Acoustic Music
-François Bayle: Jeita 1969, L’Expérience acoustique 1969-1972, Tremblement de Terre très doux 1978, Toupie dans le Ciel 1979-1980
-Francis Dhomont: Cycle des Profondeurs 1979-2015, Cycle de l’Errance 1982-1989, Les Dérives du Signe 1987-1991, Cycle du Son 1989-1998
-Jean-Claude Eloy: Shanti 1972-1973
-Gottfried Michael Koenig: Terminus II 1966/1967, Funktion grün 1967, Funktion blau 1969
-Joao Pedro Oliveira: Aphar 2007, Neshamah 2015, N’vi’ah 2019
-Denis Smalley: Pentes 1974, The Pulses of Time 1979, Tides, Pools and Currents 1984, Empty Vessels 1997, Base Metals 2000
-Ernstalbrecht Stiebler: Im Atem 2012
-Daniel Wohl: Holographic 2016, Etat 2019
-Iannis Xenakis: Persepolis, Polytope de Cluny 1972
Canon of Vocal Works
-Hans Abrahamsen: Let me tell you 2013
-John Coolidge Adams: The Wound-Dresser 1989
-John Luther Adams: Sila, the Breath of the World 2014
-Thomas Ades: Totentanz 2013
-Louis Andriessen: De Staat 1972
-Georges Aperghis: Wölfli-Kantate 2005
-George Benjamin: A Mind of Winter 1981
-Christopher Cerrone: The Pieces that fall to Earth 2015
-Unsuk Chin: Akrostichon 1991-1993
-Donnacha Dennehy: Hunger 2013
-Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel 1971
-Luca Francesconi: Etymo 1994
-Beat Furrer: Fama 2004-2005
-Gérard Grisey: Quatre Chants pour franchir le Seuil 1997-1998
-Sofia Gubaidulina: Canticle of the Sun 1997
-Georg Friedrich Haas: 3 Stücke for Mollena 2015-2016
-Juste Janulyte: Plonge 2015
-Gyorgy Kurtag: Botschaften des verstorbenen Fräuleins Trussova 1976-1980
-Helmut Lachenmann: Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern 1990-1996
-Eden Lonsdale: Voicings 2024
-James MacMillan: Quickening 1998
-Philippe Manoury: Zeitlauf 1982
-Zibuokle Martinaityte: Aletheia 2022
-Meredith Monk: Dolmen Music 1979
-Tristan Murail: Les 7 Paroles 2010
-Luigi Nono: Como una Ola de Fuerza y Luz 1971
-Gabriela Ortiz: Yanga 2019
-Klaus Ospald : Mas Raiz, menos Criatura 2014 /2015 rev. 2017
-Arvo Pärt: Es sang vor langen Jahren 1984
-Krzysztof Penderecki: Kosmogonia 1970
-Kory Reeder: Codex Symphonia 2022
-Steve Reich: The Desert Music 1983
-Wolfgang Rihm: Tutuguri 1981
-Kaija Saariaho: Oltra Mar 1999
-Salvatore Sciarrino: Un ‘Immagine di Arpocrate 1979
-Valentin Silvestrov: Maidan Songs 2014
-Outi Tarkiainen: The Earth, Spring’s Daughter 2014-2015
-John Tavener: The Veil of the Temple 2002
-Claude Vivier: Lonely Child 1973-1974
-Claude Vivier: Bouchara 1981
-Julia Wolfe: Anthracite Fields 2014
-Iannis Xenakis: Oresteia 1965-1966
Canon of Contemporary Sacred Works
-Vyacheslav Artyomov: Requiem
-Gavin Bryars: Cadman Requiem
-Reena Esmail: Lacrimosa
-Vladimir Godar: Ecce Puer
-Vladimir Godar: Stabat Mater
-Osvaldo Golijov: Pasion segun San Marcos
-Olivier Greif: Requiem
-Sofia Gubaidulina: St.Johannes Passion
-Hans-Werner Henze: Requiem-9 Spiritual Concertos
-György Ligeti: Requiem
-James MacMillan: Tenebrae Responsories
-Olivier Messiaen: Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité
-Olivier Messiaen: Le Livre du Saint-Sacrement
-Olivier Messiaen: La Transfiguration
-Arvo Pärt: De Profundis
-Arvo Pärt: Stabat Mater
-Arvo Pärt: Kanon Pokajanen
-Arvo Pärt: Da Pacem Domine
-Krzysztof Penderecki: St Luke Passion
-Krzysztof Penderecki: Utrenja
-Krzysztof Penderecki: Polish Requiem
-Zbigniew Preisner: Requiem for my Friend
-Wolfgang Rihm: Deus Passus (St Luke’s Passion)
-Wolfgang Rihm: Et Lux
-Alfred Schnittke: Requiem
-Alfred Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance
-Valentin Silvestrov: Requiem for Laryssa
-Peteris Vasks: Donna nobis Pacem
-Peteris Vasks: Pater Noster
-Charles Wuorinen: Genesis
Operas for the Canon
-Ades: The exterminating Angel
-Benjamin: Written on Skin
-Birtwistle: The Minotaur
-Chin: Alice in Wonderland
-Czernowin: Infinite Now
-Dusapin: Faustus, the last Night
-Francesconi: Trompe la Mort
-Glass: Akhnaten
-Golijov: Ainadamar
-Haas: Morgen und Abend
-Henze: The Bassarids
-Hosokawa: Matsukaze
-Kurtag: Endgame
-Larcher: Das Jagdgewehr
-Ligeti: Le grand Macabre
-Messiaen: St François d’Assise
-Neuwirth: Orlando
-Nono: Intolleranza
-Nörgard: Siddharta
-Parra: Les Bienveillantes
-Reimann : Medea
-Rihm: Die Eroberung von Mexico
-Romitelli: An Index of Metals
-Saariaho: L’Amour de loin & Innocence
-Sciarrino: Luci mei traditrici & Da Gelo a Gelo
-Stockhausen: Aus Licht
-Turnage : Anna Nicole
-Weinberg: The Passenger
contemporaryclassicalnow.com 