Musical Influences.

[ZanTV]

I'm was wondering, who's the influence of Tommy when he's composing? I've repeatedly listened to his music but have yet to make a conclusion..

Like Uematsu, some of his piano tracks have a similar style to Beethoven (specifically Fur Elise) though he said his biggest influence was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky..

[don]

Like Uematsu, some of his piano tracks have a similar style to Beethoven (specifically Fur Elise) though he said his biggest influence was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Actually, Uematsu says that is biggest influence is Elton John, follwed by The Beatles, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Simon & Garfunkel, and progressive rock bands.

Uematsu has stated that he is a big fan of Celtic and Irish music.
[...]
In the classical genre, he cites Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as a great influence. Uematsu has said that 1970s bands, such as Pink Floyd and King Crimson, had an impact on his Final Fantasy compositions. The intro to the piece "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII was inspired by the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze"; the lyrics were taken from the medieval poetry on which Carl Orff based his cantata Carmina Burana, specifically the songs "Estuans Interius", "O Fortuna", "Veni, Veni, Venias" and "Ave Formosissima".