In The Segovia Technique (1972), Vladimir Bobri describes what a guitarist’s hand gesture must be to lean toward virtuosity. This search for the perfection of the “classical” gesture was, however, called into question by another virtuosity: that of rock music. The greatest guitarists of this genre never ceased to break the rules of this ideal gesture. In the first part of the chapter, this study briefly covers the electrification of the guitar and its consequences on guitar manufacturing and the development of the effects dedicated to guitar playing. I will then focus on the possible range of crossbreeding the classically inspired instrumental gesture before addressing Eddie Van Halen’s contribution. Finally, I will consider the influence that the rock virtuosos’ legacy, from Jimi Hendrix to Van Halen, brought to the instrumental gesture, and the tones used by composers of contemporary repertoire whose knowing use of technique has furthered the hybridization of genres.

What is a composer, and what do they do? This introduction explores the idea of composition – in both Western traditions and further afield. It begins by tracing a brief cultural history of the composer in the classical music tradition and their shifting role in society, before considering a range of narratives and definitions of composition, challenging us to think about what the word ‘composition’ might mean for us in the twenty-first century.

Chapter 4 discusses the situation of contemporary female composers and poses the question of the extent to which they are ‘still exceptional’. Ranging across a wide range of figures, Astrid Kvalbein considers how contemporary women, such as Kaija Saariaho, Jennifer Walsh, and Lotta Wennäkoski, explore feminist themes and provide gender critiques through their works; the tendency for women, including Judith Weir, Olga Neuwirth, and Du Yun, to engage with wider societal issues; the strategies women, such as Unsuk Chin, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Liza Lim have adopted to respond to an increasingly globalised world; and how composers such as Natasha Barrett and Jana Winderen have explored environmental issues through their music.