Paul Hindemith was one of the leading trendsetters of musical modernism. He was a master composer, conductor, violist, educator and theoretician. His theoretical concerns ran deep and wide, and incorporated medieval philosophy, early church writings and various musical subject matters. He was a deft musician who was well versed with almost all the standard musical instruments and was exceptionally proficient on viola and viola d'amore. Paul Hindemith was the major influence in shaping the musical careers of noted composers like Franz Reizenstein, Norman Dello Joio, Lukas Foss, and Arnold Cooke. The Nazis drove him out of Germany and he traveled all across Switzerland and U.S.A., hosting concerts. He played a very crucial role in the musical history not only as a composer but also as a teacher, conductor and theorist. He experimented with different genres including orchestral works, solo concertos, chamber music for a wide range of instruments, choral works, lieder, operas and ballets. Apart from this, he also wrote books and essays.
