Categories
20th Century American

COPLAND, Aaron

Aaron Copland, photographed for the CBS television/New York Philharmonic "Young Peoples' Concerts" series.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, 14 Nov 1900
Died in North Tarrytown, NY, 2 Dec 1990

  • The child of Lithuanian immigrants and Aaron Copland was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.
  • Interestingly, Copland’s formal compositional training didn’t take place at a specific institution but rather with private teachers. He first studied under Rubin Goldmark, followed by Nadia Boulanger at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau.
    • During his time in Paris, Copland became enamored with the music of Stravinsky and Milhaud; unsurprisingly, much of his early music reflects stylistic trends associated with the two composers, such as rhythmic unpredictability and the fusion of classical and popular styles.
  • As a composer, Copland sought to compose music that was both uniquely American and would appeal to a wide audience.
    • In the composer’s New York Times obituary, the author wrote that “Copland’s greatest gift was his ability to be both serious and popular.”1

Learn more:

Short biography/timeline from CopelandHouse.org

Sources

  1. Mervyn Cooke, “Composer of the Month: Aaron Copland,” BBC Music Magazine Vol. 27, No. 12 (2019): 60-63.

Pieces