Who Is Aaron Copland? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York City. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century, celebrated for his contributions to classical music, opera, and orchestral genres. Copland's innovative musical style merges elements of jazz, folk, and classical music, resulting in a unique sound that remains influential today. He passed away on December 2, 1990, at the age of 90, but his legacy continues to inspire musicians and composers around the world.
| Occupation | Presidents |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 14, 1900 |
| Age | 90 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 2 December, 1990 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Aaron Copland's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Although specific physical stats for Aaron Copland in his later years are not well-documented, he was known for a robust build characteristic of many composers of his time. His striking presence has often been described as larger than life, reflecting his monumental contributions to music.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Throughout his life, Aaron Copland maintained a certain level of privacy regarding his personal relationships. While he was known to have several close friendships, especially within the artistic community, specific details about a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife in the context of romantic relationships remain largely unknown. His deep connections with fellow artists often overshadow personal romantic pursuits, vintage love letters, and heartfelt exchanges that reveal the emotional dimensions of his life as a composer.
He was the youngest of five children in a Conservative Jewish immigrant family of Lithuanian origin. While emigrating from Russia to the United States, Copland's father, Harris Morris Copland, lived and worked in Scotland for two to three years to pay for his boat fare to the United States.
It was there that Copland's father may have Anglicized his surname "Kaplan" to "Copland", though Copland himself believed for many years that the change had been caused by an Ellis Island immigration official when his father entered the country.
Copland was unaware until late in his life that the family name had been Kaplan, his parents having never told him. Throughout his childhood, Copland and his family lived above his parents' Brooklyn shop, H. M.
Copland's, at 628 Washington Avenue (which Aaron later called "a kind of neighborhood Macy's"), on the corner of Dean Street and Washington Avenue, and most of the children helped out in the store. His father was a staunch Democrat. The family members were active in Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes, where Aaron celebrated his bar mitzvah.
Not especially athletic, the sensitive young man became an avid reader and often read Horatio Alger stories on his front steps.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death in 1990, Aaron Copland's net worth was estimated to be around $10 million. Given the enduring popularity of his works and the continued performances of his music worldwide, his estate's estimated value has increased significantly over the years. In 2025, his net worth likely remains substantial due to ongoing royalties from his compositions, including famous works such as "Appalachian Spring," "Fanfare for the Common Man," and "Rodeo."
Also important, especially during the Depression, were wealthy patrons who underwrote performances, helped pay for publication of works, and promoted musical events and composers. Among them was Serge Koussevitzky, the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who was known as a champion of "new music".
Koussevitsky proved to be very influential in Copland's life, perhaps the second most important figure in Copland's career after Boulanger.
Beginning with the Symphony for Organ and Orchestra (1924), Koussevitzky performed more of Copland's music than that of any the composer's contemporaries, at a time when other conductors were programming only a few of Copland's works.
Career, Business, and Investments
Aaron Copland's career spanned several decades, during which he composed numerous classical pieces that reshaped the American music landscape. He was not only a composer but also an educator, conductor, and writer. Copland's business ventures included publishing his music and engaging in collaborations with film and ballet. His film scores, especially for works like "Of Mice and Men," further solidified his status as a pioneer in American film music.
In addition to his compositions, Copland's commitment to music education and mentoring younger musicians extended his influence beyond mere compositions, ensuring that his musical legacy would resonate long into the future.
Boulanger had as many as 40 students at once and employed a formal regimen that Copland had to follow. Copland found her incisive mind much to his liking and her ability to critique a composition impeccable. Boulanger "could always find the weak spot in a place you suspected was weak...
She also could tell you why it was weak [italics Copland]." He wrote in a letter to his brother Ralph, "This intellectual Amazon is not only professor at the Conservatoire, is not only familiar with all music from Bach to Stravinsky, but is prepared for anything worse in the way of dissonance. But make no mistake ...
A more charming womanly woman never lived." Copland later wrote: "it was wonderful for me to find a teacher with such openness of mind, while at the same time she held firm ideas of right and wrong in musical matters.
The confidence she had in my talents and her belief in me were at the very least flattering and more—they were crucial to my development at this time of my career." Though he had planned on only one year abroad, he studied with her for three years, finding that her eclectic approach inspired his own broad musical taste.
Social Network
Although Aaron Copland passed away before the rise of digital social networks, his influence continues to thrive in contemporary platforms. Fans and music lovers engage with his work through various channels, including tribute pages on social media and music streaming services, showcasing his enduring legacy in classical music. His family and the music community often share insights and memorabilia, helping to keep his spirit alive.
Along with his studies with Boulanger, Copland took classes in French language and history at the Sorbonne, attended plays, and frequented Shakespeare and Company, the English-language bookstore that was a gathering place for expatriate American writers.
Among this group in the heady cultural atmosphere of Paris in the 1920s were Paul Bowles, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Henry Miller, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound, as well as artists like Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Amedeo Modigliani.
Also influential on the new music were the French intellectuals Marcel Proust, Paul Valéry, Jean-Paul Sartre, and André Gide; Copland said the latter was his favorite and most read. Travels to Italy, Austria, and Germany rounded out Copland's musical education.
During his stay in Paris, he began writing musical critiques, the first on Gabriel Fauré, which helped spread his fame and stature in the music community.
Education
Aaron Copland studied at the Paris Conservatory, where he honed his skills and expanded his musical repertoire. His education played a crucial role in shaping his innovative style, rooted in both classical tradition and American folk influences. He was known for his ability to blend diverse musical idioms, and this education laid the foundation for his noteworthy contributions to American music.
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Composers".
The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many consider the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as "populist" and which he called his "vernacular" style.
Works in this vein include the ballets Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo, his Fanfare for the Common Man and Third Symphony. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera, and film scores.
