Every parent wants the best future for their child, and some parents believe in the concept of ‘infant determinism,’ which loosely states that exposure to stimuli at a young age (including in the womb) can affect the adult they eventually become. This has conjured up an image of pregnant mothers sitting next to record players, having classics like Beethoven and Mozart on repeat for the benefit of their little unborn genius.

But is there actually any truth to this? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Several studies have been conducted by scientists who have failed to confirm any meaningful correlation between exposure to classical music and an increase in intelligence.

In fact, those who propagate this myth likely are uninformed or have a vested interest. There is an entire category of children’s music CDs dedicated to classical music, preying on the misguided belief that playing Mozart for a small child will set them on the path to intellectual greatness.

However, giving your child a robust experience of music can still be beneficial for them. A child who listens to Mozart or his contemporaries might discover an interest in composing music or playing an instrument, both career paths that any parents can be proud of.

While a good majority of the most recognizable classical artists were from centuries and centuries ago, there are now some emerging, or even more recent classical artists that are creating music worth listening to. These modern classical artists are shaping and evolving classical music and really making it their own.

It’s always great to listen to the true classic composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach, but sometimes it’s a good idea to change it up a bit and see if you’ll like any of the emerging or newer classical artists. You might even find someone new that you like and can add some of their songs to your classical playlist.

Believe it or not, but there is actually a lot of modern classical artist right around the world that is building their fan base. Have a read on below at some of the modern classical artists that you should listen to:

Johann Johannsson

Born in 1969 in Iceland, Johann Johannsson started releasing solo albums in 2002. In 2016 he signed with a label and released his last album, he unfortunately passed away two years later in 2018. He wrote music for a lot of different media types, like dance, movies and TV. He was best known for blending traditional classical sounds with electronic features.

Ludovico Einaudi

Born in Italy, Ludovico Einaudi is a well-known pianist with training from the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan and later received a scholarship at Tanglewood Music Festival. Ludovico Einaudi spent a significant proportion of his musical career composing tunes for the ballet, and he has also released a few solo albums as well. He has many different influences in his music and they are a pleasure to listen to.

Yann Tiersen

Yann Tiersen was a true musical talent from such a young age; he began playing the piano at just 4 years of age. He has had many ups and downs throughout his musical career, but managed to release his first solo album by 1993. He recorded a lot of his earlier pieces of music in his apartment with his accordion, violin and guitar. One of his greatest pieces is Le Phare, which has sold close to 200,000 copies.

Clinton Mansell

Known and regarded as a great film scorer and has worked on films such as Black Swan, The Iron Lady, The Rebound and Definitely, Maybe. Clinton Mansell was even nominated for a Golden Globe, for Best Original Score in the film The Fountain. He also contributed music to the Lord of the Rings movie franchise. You probably don’t know it, but Clinton Mansell has had a hand in creating music for some of the most well-known movies and TV shows.

Nils Frahm

He is a German composer known for his work combining classical music and electronic music together. If you are looking for a true modern classical artist, then you can’t go past Nils Frahm. He has had a pretty successful solo career, but has also partnered with other artists like Olafur Arnalds and Anne Muller. His 2011 tune, Felt, is probably one of his most well known pieces of work, and fans as well as the critics loved this piece. During his career, Nils Frahm has also released music books.

Max Richter

His work is highly regarded and you just may have heard some of his pieces used in films. Throughout Max Richter’s career his has also wrote music for the ballet. He is pushing the boundaries of what is means to write classical music and is always looking for alternative musical styles, which have a great influence on his work.