A composer is a person who writes music and does it usually as a profession, and most of the time establishes a career. A composer produces compositions {hence the name} which is a piece of written music. A composer does not use lyrics, and the layout for their pieces is often very different. So compared to Songwriter/Artist the genres and compositions and how an artist utilizes lyrics, and how composers utilize their instrumentation.
Danny Elfman:
A good example of a famous composer is Danny Elfman, born May 29, 1953, is an American composer, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He first became well known and has since garnered international recognition for writing over 100 features as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall. Danny Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Vant Sant, with notable achievements the scores for 16 films directed by Tim Burton and other films including Batman, Charlie and the chocolate factory, Dumbo, and Alice in wonderland.
Thomas Montgomery Newman:
Another good example of a composer is Thomas Montgomery Newman is born on October 20th in 1955 and is an American composer best known for his many film scores. In a career that has spanned over four decades, he has scored numerous classics including, The player, the Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Finding Nemo. Thomas has also been nominated for four Golden Globes and has won two BAFTA’s six Grammys and an Emmy award. Newman was honored with the Richard Kirk award at the 2000 BMI Film and TV Awards.
John Towner Williams:
Example No.3 is John Towner Williams who is born on February 8th, in 1932 is an American conductor, pianist, and trombonist. Regarded by many as the ‘greatest film composer of all time’, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history in a career spanning over six decades. Williams has won 25 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards With 52 Academy Award nominations, he is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney.