Renowned American Composer Carter Dies at 103

American classical composer Elliott Carter, whose career spanned several eras of music throughout the world with challenging, rhythmically complex works, died Monday at age 103.American classical composer Elliott Carter, whose career spanned several eras of music throughout the world with challenging, rhythmically complex works, died Monday at age 103. His music publishing company, Boosey & Hawkes, called him an “iconic American composer.” Indeed, the lifelong musician earned the respect of generation after generation of contemporaries (along with two Pulitzers). In 2002, The New York Times said his string quartets were among “the most difficult music ever conceived,” and it hailed their “volatile emotions, delicacy and even, in places, plucky humor.”