Before electronic music filled stadiums, before synths were pop staples, there was Wendy Carlos (b. 1939) — a composer, technologist, and trailblazer who helped rewire modern music.
In 1968, Carlos released Switched-On Bach, a meticulous, Moog-synth reimagining of Johann Sebastian Bach that became a surprise commercial hit and a cultural turning point. It proved that synthesizers weren’t gimmicks — they were instruments. The album won three Grammys and helped usher electronic sound into the mainstream.
Carlos went on to score visionary films like A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), and Tron (1982), blending classical structure with futuristic tone. Her work didn’t just popularize the synthesizer — it expanded what composition could sound like.
At the same time, Wendy Carlos was navigating a deeply personal transformation. In the late 1960s, she began her gender-affirming transition and publicly came out as a transgender woman in 1979. In an era with little understanding or acceptance, Carlos handled her transition with remarkable privacy and strength — allowing her music to speak first, then later speaking for herself.
