Aaron Copland
The composer who distilled the sound of the American heartland, giving classical music a bold, open-hearted new voice.
1900–1990 (age 90)·American composer and conductor·Birthday: November 14·The Lost Generation
Biography
Aaron Copland spent his career answering a question that haunted American composers: what does American music sound like? Born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents, he studied in Paris before returning home determined to forge a distinctly national style. In the 1930s and 40s, he shed complex modernism for a clear, lyrical language that seemed to paint the country's landscapes in sound. With fanfares that echoed wide plains and melodies that suggested frontier folk tunes, works like 'Appalachian Spring,' 'Rodeo,' and 'Billy the Kid' became instant classics, soundtracks to a nation's self-image. He wasn't just a populist; Copland was also a sharp critic, a generous teacher, and an advocate for fellow composers. While later in life his music grew more austere and he faced scrutiny during the McCarthy era, his 'vernacular' works had already done their job. He gave America a musical identity that felt both grand and deeply familiar.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Aaron was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 80
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Died at 90
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1945 for his ballet 'Appalachian Spring.'
- Received an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 1949 film 'The Heiress.'
- Composed the iconic 'Fanfare for the Common Man' for the Cincinnati Symphony in 1942.
- Co-founded the American Composers Alliance and the Copland-Sessions Concerts to promote new American music.
Did You Know?
He was one of the first American composers to study with the famed teacher Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
He never learned to drive a car.
He was investigated by the FBI during the Red Scare for his leftist political associations in the 1930s.
His 'Simple Gifts' variation in 'Appalachian Spring' is based on a Shaker hymn.
“To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.”
