1. Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

2. Background Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900. He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Sarah Mittenthal and Harris Copland. He was the youngest of five children. He began playing around at the piano at a young age, and began piano lessons with his sister, Laurine, when he was 11. When he was 14, he began studying piano with a professional teacher, Ludwig Wolfsohn. At the age of 16, he saw his first symphony concert. He had a wildly successful career, and died at the age of 90 on December 2nd, 1990 at the Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in New York.

3. Accomplishments He wrote his first piece of music when he was 11 years old. His first work was published in 1922 (Le chat et la Souris) From 1920 on, Coplands career really took off, and he had many public performances, and composed many works. Won the RCA Composers Competition in 1929. In 1944 Copland received and Academy Award nomination for his music in the movie The North Star, And in 1945, he received a Pulitzer prize for his music. In 1950 Copland got another Academy Award nomination

4. Timeline 1911-He wrote his first piece of music. 1921-Enrolls in the American Conservatory 1922-His first work was published (Le chat et la Souris) 1924-First article published (for the Musical Quarterly). Gabriel Fauré, a Neglected Master 1925-first big performance of his orchestral music (at Carnegie Hall). It was a performance of his symphony for organ and orchestra. 1927-Copland s first major piano performance, and world debut of his piano concerto. 1929-Won the RCA Composers Competition. 1934-First performance of a staged work. It was the ballet Hear ye! Hear ye! performed by Ruth Page ballets in Chicago. 1937 -Composes his Play-Opera The Hurricane. 1941-His book, Our New Music, is published In 1944 Copland received and Academy Award nomination for his music in the movie The North Star, And in 1945, he received a Pulitzer prize for his music.

5. Musical style Aaron Copland was known for his simplicity of expression, and his use of dissonance. He could get the point across in his music, yet it was not overdone or fussy. He was also known to use unusual meters, and strange avant-garde touches.

6. Copland Music Samples http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 002S5EW/sr=8- 2/qid=1147734591/ref=pd_bbs_2/102- 5941810-0532909?%5Fencoding=UTF8 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 002S5EW/sr=8- 2/qid=1147734591/ref=pd_bbs_2/102- 5941810-0532909?%5Fencoding=UTF8