He heard it all in his head: The drum-bursts like distant bombs, and then the somber trumpet fanfare, played seamlessly in unison by three trumpeters. Horns, trombones and tuba joined in a display of ...

Aaron Copland‘s “Fanfare for the Common Man” begins with dramatic percussion, heralding something big and exciting. Then comes a ladder of simple trumpet notes, solemn and heroic. The whole piece ...

Even cut down to a third of its length, the 1977 track became their biggest hit, and one of the most successful instrumental ...

On Tuesday, May 26, 1953, Aaron Copland appeared as a witness before the Senate committee headed by Joseph McCarthy. Summoned because of his past relationship with the American government—he served as ...

Host Scott Yoo and pianist John Novacek discuss Copland’s career as a film composer. Copland was a firm believer in “less is more” in terms of scoring, an idea that can be heard in scores today. To ...

British composer Malcolm Arnold said,"Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is." Concerts provide essential togetherness, but closeness ...

In 2000, former NPR producer, musicologist and Civil War historian Andy Trudeau was charged with writing a musicial biography for NPR's Aaron Copland Centennial coverage on the Web. Introduction: The ...

When Martha Graham’s ballet “Appalachian Spring” had its premiere on Oct. 30, 1944, in Washington, D.C., Aaron Copland was the voice of America. He had the gift to be simple. He wrote music that ...