This is a list of musicians and groups who compose and play free music, or free improvisation. In alphabetical order:

Musicians

  • Susan Alcorn – pedal steel guitar
  • Jason Alder – clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet
  • Thomas Ankersmit – saxophone, synthesizer
  • Albert Ayler – saxophone
  • Richard Barrett – electronics, sampler
  • Derek Bailey – guitar
  • Conny Bauer – trombone
  • Burkhard Beins – percussion
  • Han Bennink – percussion
  • Steve Beresford – piano
  • Jean-Jacques Birge – synthesizer
  • Jeb Bishop – trombone
  • Anthony Braxton – saxophones
  • John Wolf Brennan – piano, prepared piano, melodica, pipe organ
  • Olie Brice – double bass
  • Peter Brötzmann – saxophone, tárogató
  • Tony Buck – percussion
  • John Butcher – saxophone
  • Captain Beefheart – saxophone, clarinet, voice
  • Kent Carter – double bass
  • Graham Clark – violin
  • Ornette Coleman – saxophone
  • Tom Cora – cello, bass guitar, drums
  • Lol Coxhill – saxophone
  • Marilyn Crispell – piano
  • Stephen Crowe – guitar, electric guitar
  • Alvin Curran - electronics
  • Chris Cutler – percussion
  • Tobias Delius – saxophone
  • Poulomi Desai - modified sitars and electronics
  • Christy Doran – guitar
  • Mark Dresser – double bass
  • Kevin Drumm – guitar, synthesizer
  • Paul Dunmall – saxophone
  • Ellery Eskelin – tenor saxophone
  • Karlheinz Essl – electronics
  • Julia Feldman – voice
  • Simon H. Fell – double bass
  • Robert Fripp - guitar, mellotron
  • Fred Frith – guitar, violin
  • Cor Fuhler – piano, keyolin, synthesizer
  • Bernhard Gal – electronics
  • Joel Garten – piano
  • Charles Gayle – saxophone, piano, bass clarinet
  • Seppe Gebruers – the first improvised quartertone pianist
  • Richard Grayson – piano
  • Mats Gustafsson – saxophone, flutophone
  • Barry Guy – double bass
  • Keiji Haino – guitar, voice
  • Hans Hassler - accordion
  • Gerry Hemingway – drums
  • Zach Hill – drums
  • Killick Erik Hinds – h'arpeggione
  • Tim Hodgkinson – saxophone
  • Theo Joergensmann – basset clarinet
  • Ryan Jones – electric bass
  • Henry Kaiser – guitar
  • Leonel Kaplan – trumpet
  • Basil Kirchin – drums
  • Peter Kowald – double bass
  • Savina Yannatou – voice
  • Caroline Kraabel – saxophone
  • Steve Lacy – saxophone
  • Kathryn Ladano – bass clarinet
  • Yuri Landman – string instruments
  • Jeanne Lee – voice
  • Thomas Lehn – synthesizer
  • George E. Lewis – trombone, electronics
  • Joelle Leandre – double bass, vocals
  • Fred Lonberg-Holm – cello
  • Paul Lovens – drums
  • Paul Lytton – drums
  • Frederik Magle – organ
  • Radu Malfatti – trombone
  • Joe Maneri – saxophone, clarinet
  • Mario Mariani – piano, objects
  • Elio Martusciello – computer, guitar
  • Mattin
  • Guerino Mazzola – piano
  • Misha Mengelberg – piano, toys
  • Phil Minton – voice
  • Louis Moholo – drums
  • Gabriela Montero – piano
  • Michael Moore – saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Thurston Moore – guitar
  • Butch Morris – cornet, conductor
  • Jamie Muir – percussion
  • Stephen Nachmanovitch – violin, electric violin, viola
  • Lauren Newton - voice
  • Maggie Nicols – voice
  • Mary Oliver – violin, viola

Willie Oteri - guitar, saxophone, flute

  • Tony Oxley – percussion
  • Sonia Paço-Rocchia – bassoon, found and invented instruments, live electronics
  • Evan Parker – saxophones
  • William Parker – double bass
  • Mike Patton – voice, piano, synthesizer
  • Barre Phillips – double bass
  • Andreas Paolo Perger – guitar
  • Pierre Pincemaille – organ
  • Eddie Prevost – percussion, drums
  • Sun Ra — Keyboards, piano, minimoog
  • Randy Raine-Reusch – zheng, khaen, sho, kayageum, ichigenkin
  • Lee Ranaldo – guitar
  • Marc Rebillet — electronics, keyboards, voice
  • Hans Reichel – guitar, daxophone