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The concept of a “first” composer is not entirely historically accurate because music has been a part of various cultures for thousands of years. However, in terms of written music, the first significant composers in Western culture are often considered to be the ancient Greeks. The first known composers in the Western tradition of notated music include Guido d’Arezzo, a monk living in Italy around the year 1000, and a group of French musicians called the Notre Dame School around the same period.

But if we are talking about the first professional composer, the title would go to Ludwig van Beethoven, as he was the first composer to make a living solely from his compositions. Before him, composers were often supported by the church or by noble families.