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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melodist
Noun
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Kangding Ray, the composer, producer and DJ who is currently Oscar-shortlisted for his score to Neon’s Sirāt, has signed with WME for representation for film scoring.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2026
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Moon was the show’s composer for more than a decade from 2001 to 2017 and scored more than 150 episodes, according to IMDb.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Malliotakis has not been in contact with the family of Luckey-Lange, son of the late musician Diane Luckey, but initially reached out to the State Department after her office received inquiries about his detention from local and state media.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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Inga's Alpine Tavern CBS Last Friday was a typical busy Friday night at Inga's Alpine Tavern with a musicians playing live music.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melodist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melodist. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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