Free Famous Composer Worksheets

Composer worksheets are a simple way to bring music history to life for kids.

These free printables introduce six well-known composers through caricature coloring pages, short biographies, and fun facts.

Children will learn about John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, and others while exploring the stories behind their most famous works.

Whether used in homeschool lessons or the classroom, these worksheets make music appreciation approachable and engaging.

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Free Music Composer Worksheets

Inside this set you’ll find six composer worksheets designed to be simple for teachers and engaging for kids.

Each page has space to color, a short biography, and a fun fact that helps spark conversation.

They work well in music class, homeschool lessons, or as an easy enrichment activity during history or art.

John Williams

Kids often recognize John Williams’ music before they know his name, the Star Wars and Jurassic Park themes usually get instant smiles. This worksheet gives them a chance to put a face to the music while coloring his caricature and reading a short bio.

To make it even more fun, try playing a few of his most famous film scores in the background while kids work. If they’re ready to experiment themselves, this beginner piano solo songbook has simplified versions of his themes. My son loved being able to pick out tunes he already knew.

Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein was a larger-than-life composer and conductor whose music still feels fresh today. Kids usually know him best for West Side Story, but he also created concert works like Candide and On the Town.

Beyond composing, he led the New York Philharmonic and brought classical music into living rooms across America with his televised Young People’s Concerts.

The worksheet introduces his story in a kid-friendly way, with space to color and learn fun facts. To make the activity more engaging, you could play a short clip from one of his musicals or symphonic works while children color, or explore his life further with this beautifully written children’s book.

Benjamin Britten

Instead of memorizing dates and awards, kids will probably connect more with Edward Benjamin Britten’s love of the sea and nature.

His music often carries that atmosphere, whether in his operas or in The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which introduces students to every instrument family.

The worksheet gives children space to color his caricature while picking up key facts. I’ve found it works well to turn it into a listening challenge, play a short excerpt and ask kids to guess which instruments are featured.

That way, they’re not just reading about Britten, they’re experiencing what made his work so memorable.

It’s a simple addition to a homeschool music curriculum or classroom unit on composers.

Leroy Anderson

Anderson’s worksheets always make me smile because his music was written to do exactly that. He had a knack for playful compositions, The Typewriter really does sound like typing, and The Syncopated Clock keeps perfect time with its tick-tock rhythm.

This page introduces his quirky style in a way that kids can immediately grasp. While they color, try playing one of his novelty pieces in the background.

It helps students realize that classical music isn’t always serious, sometimes it’s written just to make you grin. For families who enjoy holiday music, a Christmas songbook arranged for piano and guitar is a fun way to keep that playful spirit going.

George Gershwin

George Gershwin (1898–1937) blended jazz and classical music in a way no one had before, creating a sound that was uniquely American.

His best-known pieces include Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and the opera Porgy and Bess. His music also found its way into films and cartoons, which is often how kids first recognize it.

This worksheet introduces Gershwin’s story in a kid-friendly format, with space to color and learn fun facts. To make the activity more engaging, you could play a short clip of one of his orchestral works while children color.

The jazzy rhythms and big melodies make it easy for them to connect the music with his biography. An engaging children’s book is also available if you’d like to explore his life further.

Aaron Copland

When kids think of American music, they might not know Copland’s name, but they’ve almost certainly heard his wide, open melodies.

Pieces like Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man capture the feeling of big landscapes and ordinary people in everyday life.

The worksheet encourages students to connect with that “American sound” through coloring and short biography notes.

To extend the lesson, I like to have kids move or clap along with one of his lively dance themes. It turns the listening into something physical and helps them feel the rhythms that made Copland’s music so distinctive.

Best Composer Books for Kids

If your kids enjoy the worksheets, these books are a great way to keep the learning going at home.

• Maestro Classics mixes stories, activities, and music. My son liked how the narration made the composers feel like characters in a story, which kept him listening longer than a textbook would.
• A Child’s Introduction to the Orchestra is a favorite for younger learners. With 37 musical selections, it walks kids through instruments and composers in a way that feels playful rather than formal.
• Wild Symphony by Dan Brown follows Maestro Mouse on a musical adventure. The mix of story, illustrations, and original compositions makes it easy to enjoy together during read-aloud time.

These are the kinds of books we’ve come back to when we want music appreciation to feel like fun instead of a lesson.

Add a musical instrument coloring page to your lessons for another hands-on way to introduce kids to music.

Explore More of the World’s Greatest Composers

If your kids enjoy these free worksheets, you might want to take the next step with our composer coloring pages and research project.

They’re designed to help students dig a little deeper into music history, whether you’re building a unit study or just want extra activities for your lessons.

These printable packs are available in our shop and work well for homeschoolers, classroom teachers, or any family that wants to explore the stories behind great music in more detail.

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Last Updated on 21 October 2025 by Clare Brown