John Adams

Not to be confused with the second President of the United States, John Adams was a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer whose minimalist style brought new breadth and vision to contemporary classical music. A New England native and Harvard graduate, some of Adams' more notable works include the historical operas "Nixon in China" (1987) and "Doctor Atomic" (2005), the latter of which was inspired by Robert Oppenheimer and the building of the first atomic bomb, as well as 2002's "On the Transmigration of Souls," which earned him the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Music. An equally accomplished film composer, Adams worked on Martin Scorsese's 2010 thriller "Shutter Island," in addition to various other television shows and mini-series. Thus, for his ability to make waves in mediums outside classical music, whether it be film, television, or the stage, John Adams rose to become one of the more diversified composers in the modern era.