noun
great musician; master musician
An honorific title for a musician of the highest caliber, often used for classical composers like Beethoven. Not used for ordinary skilled musicians.
ベートーヴェンは「楽聖」と呼ばれている。
Beethoven is called the 'master musician'.
彼は楽聖と称されるほどの作曲家だ。
He is a composer worthy of being called a great musician.
Compound of 楽 (music) and 聖 (sage, saint). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely emerged as a reverent epithet for musical geniuses.