Aaron Copland
Conductor and Composer
Early Life
Copland was born on November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the youngest of five children, living directly above a department store that his family owned. At age eleven, Aaron's big sister taught him how to play piano, and he started to go to a teacher weekly. When he was 15, Copland decided that he wanted to be a composer, and in 1917, he studied music theory in school. In 1921, Copland moved to France for about five years to study with Nadia Boulanger, a famous Fench composer. While he was there, Copland learned about European music, and used it to inspire his music.
Musical Pieces
Aaron Copland composed many songs, including his famous Rodeo, Four Saints in Three Acts, and Bolero.
Comparison: Aaron Copland vs. John Williams
Aaron Copland and John Williams were both very famous composers, although one did movies and the other did not. Aaron Copland also got his influences from Russian and French music, and Williams from old American music.