Final answer:
While many composers have influenced music, Ludwig van Beethoven stands out for his transformative compositions bridging the Classical and Romantic eras. His work, like the Ninth Symphony, remains culturally significant and has widely influenced later music, including modern and avant-garde genres, making him one of the most influential composers in the world today.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying the composer who has had the most influence on the music of the world today can be challenging as different composers have influenced various aspects of music throughout history. However, Ludwig van Beethoven is often recognized as one of the most influential composers. With a career bridging the Classical and Romantic eras, his innovations laid the groundwork that influenced countless composers thereafter. His early works maintain Classical traditions while his later compositions, including the highly acclaimed Ninth Symphony, usher the Romantic sensibilities. The Ninth Symphony has been notably used in the film 'A Clockwork Orange' directed by Stanley Kubrick, showing Beethoven's lasting impact on modern culture.
Additionally, the innovation and boundary-pushing music of composers like Arnold Schoenberg, who experimented with atonality and the twelve-tone scale, played a critical role in shaping modern and avant-garde music. While not as broadly popular as Beethoven, Schoenberg's work remains significantly influential among contemporary musicians and composers. The work of Romantic composers like Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Richard Wagner also continue to resonate with audiences and musicians to this day, their works performed in concert halls worldwide.
Overall, while there are many composers who have left an indelible mark on music, it is clear that Beethoven, with his transformative approach to composition and his profound influence on both the Romantic era and contemporary music, may hold the distinction of having had the most significant impact on the world's music as we know it today.