JOPLIN, Scott

Born in northeast TX, between July 19, 1867 and mid-Jan 1868
Died in New York, NY, April 1, 1917¹

• Scott Joplin was known as the “king of ragtime” at the turn of the 20th Century. In fact, today, the composer’s name is practically synonymous with the term, “ragtime.”
  • Ragtime is a musical style distinctive for it’s syncopated melodic lines. It’s a forerunner of jazz and the prevailing style of American popular music at the turn of the century.²
• Despite the composer’s success in publishing ragtime, Joplin aspired to write theatrical works. He wrote a ballet called The Ragtime Dance and two operas – A Guest of Honor and Treemonisha. Sadly, A Guess of Honor was never published, and the manuscript has since been lost.³
• In 1907, Joplin published an instructional book outlining his musical technique called The School of Ragtime.⁴

Biography from the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival

1. Edward A. Berlin, “Joplin, Scott,” Grove Music Online (October 16, 2013), accessed March 18, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002253061.
2. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Scott Joplin,” Encyclopedia Britannica (2022), accessed August 12, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Scott-Joplin.
3. Edward A. Berlin, “Joplin, Scott,” Grove Music Online.
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Scott Joplin,” Encyclopedia Britannica.