as in composer
a person who writes musical compositions
a melodist whose music is not likely to be very accessible to the casual listener
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Recent Examples of melodist
The album puts a further exclamation point on Schwartz’s rare brilliance as both melodist and lyricist, a la Sondheim.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
In Radiance Rising, inspired by anime openings, Ben Spivey imagines the violins as melodists, the viola as an electric guitar, the cello as percussion, progressing to a dancelike ending.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 24 Apr. 2023
His poetry has been continuously set to music by composers, from his contemporaries to still-living melodists, including Carrie Jacobs-Bond, John Alden Carpenter, Harry Thacker Burleigh, William Bolcom and Zenobia Powell Perry.
—Minnita Daniel-Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s six-concert winter festival, the Magic of Schubert, considers the legacy of a melodist both gracious and sublime, all culminating in the unrushed pleasures of Schubert’s hour-long Octet in F Major (Jan. 22-Feb. 10).
—Oussama Zahr, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2022
Harrison liked to say music is a song and a dance, and in the last decades of the 20th century no one could touch him as a melodist.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2020
As a tunesmith, the nonpareil melodist Bacharach found fame in every medium.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 9 Feb. 2023
But the Romanian conductor happens to be music director of the Cabrillo Festival, which was founded by Lou Harrison, California’s great melodist and eclectic.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022
Where Lang Lang is a melodist, Wang is marvel of rhythm.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
In Radiance Rising, inspired by anime openings, Ben Spivey imagines the violins as melodists, the viola as an electric guitar, the cello as percussion, progressing to a dancelike ending.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 24 Apr. 2023
His poetry has been continuously set to music by composers, from his contemporaries to still-living melodists, including Carrie Jacobs-Bond, John Alden Carpenter, Harry Thacker Burleigh, William Bolcom and Zenobia Powell Perry.
—Minnita Daniel-Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s six-concert winter festival, the Magic of Schubert, considers the legacy of a melodist both gracious and sublime, all culminating in the unrushed pleasures of Schubert’s hour-long Octet in F Major (Jan. 22-Feb. 10).
—Oussama Zahr, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2022
Harrison liked to say music is a song and a dance, and in the last decades of the 20th century no one could touch him as a melodist.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2020
As a tunesmith, the nonpareil melodist Bacharach found fame in every medium.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 9 Feb. 2023
But the Romanian conductor happens to be music director of the Cabrillo Festival, which was founded by Lou Harrison, California’s great melodist and eclectic.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022
Where Lang Lang is a melodist, Wang is marvel of rhythm.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melodist
Noun
-
The mark that Jewish composers and lyricists left on Broadway and on the Great American Songbook is indelible, from the Gershwins to Stephen Sondheim to Leonard Bernstein.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 June 2025
-
Schifrin’s reputation as an innovative jazz composer led to an invitation to write for TV and films.—
Jon Burlingame,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Although Gilley and Lewis were more likely to popularly referred to as the successful musicians in the family.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
-
In March 2022, BTS announced an extended hiatus, which made time for V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope to complete their mandatory military service in South Korea and pursue solo endeavors as musicians.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melodist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melodist. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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