Aaron Copland
Photo: CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1900–1990

Aaron Copland

American composer, composition teacher, writer, and conductor (1900-1990)

Born
14 November 1900
Brooklyn
Died
2 December 1990
Sleepy Hollow
Country
United States
Record labels
Columbia Records
Discography
139 albums

Biography

Aaron Copland was a jazz musician who played piano. Aaron Copland was born on 14 November 1900 in Brooklyn and died on 2 December 1990 in Sleepy Hollow. The music is usually filed under classical music, opera and symphony. Record labels: Columbia Records. The discography here lists 139 albums, from “Copland: Sextet for String Quartet, Clarinet and Piano / Kohs: Chamber Concerto” (1953) to “Copland: Symphony no. 3 / Walker: Sinfonia no. 5” (2026). Honours include Guggenheim Fellowship (1925), Pulitzer Prize for Music (1945) and Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score (1950).

Aaron Copland ( KOHP-lənd; 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 Music". 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.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Copland: Sextet for String Quartet, Clarinet and Piano / Kohs: Chamber Concerto 1953 · Columbia Masterworks Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land - Suite 1960 · RCA Victor Red Seal Copland: The Red Pony & Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20 1964 · Sony Classical Aaron Copland Conducts: Music for a Great City / Statements 1966 · CBS The Copland Album: Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / El Salón México / Rodeo 1970 · Columbia Masterworks Appalachian Spring / Lincoln Portrait / Fanfare for the Common Man 1971 · CBS
Copland Conducts Copland: Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet) 1974 · Columbia Masterworks
A 75th Birthday Celebration: Aaron Copland Conducts 1975 · Columbia Masterworks Appalachian Spring / Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes 1979 · National Geographic Society Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Fanfare for the Common Man 1982 · Telarc Music of Barber and Copland 1983 · Andante Appalachian Spring Suite / Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson / An Outdoor Overture 1986 · Reference Recordings Billy the Kid / Rodeo 1986 · EMI Digital Symphony no. 3 / Danzón Cubano / El Salón Mexico 1986 · EMI Angel Digital Symphony no. 3 / Quiet City 1986 · Deutsche Grammophon Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man 1987 · CBS Records Masterworks Piano Fantasy / Piano Variations / Passacaglia / Night Thoughts (Homage to Ives) 1987 · Delos International, Inc. Sextet / Piano Variations / Piano Quartet 1987 · Nonesuch Appalachian Spring (complete) / Letter from Home / John Henry / Cortège macabre from "Grohg" 1988 · EMI Digital Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man 1989 · Naxos Appalachian Spring / Short Symphony / 3 Latin American Sketches / Quiet City 1989 · Deutsche Grammophon Clarinet Concerto / Music for the Theatre / Quiet City / Dance Panels 1989 · EMI Digital
Music for the Theatre, Music for Movies, Quiet City, Clarinet Concerto 1989
Im Herzen der Klassik 66: Copland - Billy The Kid / Rodeo / Appalachian Spring 1990 · Marshall Cavendish Orchestral Works 1990 · Nimbus Records Symphony no. 3 / Music for a Great City 1990 · RCA Victor Red Seal Appalachian Spring (original chamber version) / Music for the Theatre / Latin American Sketches / Quiet City 1991 · TELDEC Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Danzón Cubano / El Salón México 1991 · Mercury Records El Salón México / Clarinet Concerto / Connotations / Music for the Theatre 1991 · Deutsche Grammophon El salón México / Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Dance Symphony / Fanfare for the Common Man 1991 · London Records Suite from "The Tender Land" / 3 Latin-American Sketches / Suite from "The Red Pony" 1991 · KOCH International Classics Out West! Tone Poems of the American West 1992 · Delos The Tender Land 1992 · Virgin Classics An American in Prague: Aaron Copland conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra 1993 · Romantic Robot Billy the Kid / El Salón México / Appalachian Spring / Fanfare for the Common Man 1993 · RPO Records Composers Conduct: Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land: Suite / Fall River Legend 1993 · RCA Victor Copland: Billy the Kid / Rodeo / Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite 1993 · RCA Victor Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Bernstein: Sonata for Clarinet / Gershwin: Three Preludes 1993 · RCA Victor Red Seal Portraits of Freedom 1993 · Delos Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Arnold: Clarinet Concerto no. 1 / Lutosławski: Dance Preludes / Rossini: Variations 1994 · Centaur Records Great American Composers 1994 · Chesky Records Grohg / Hear ye! Hear ye! / Prelude 1994 · Argo Long Time Ago 1994 · TELDEC Music for Films 1994 · RCA Victor Red Seal Rodeo / Billy the Kid / El salón México / Danzón Cubano 1994 · Argo The Young Pioneers: The Complete Music for Solo Piano 1994 · Sony Classical Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915 / Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson 1995 · EMI Classics Piano Concerto / Appalachian Spring / Symphonic Ode 1995 · Delos The Contemporary American ‘C’ 1995 · BIS Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Lincoln Portrait / Fanfare for the Common Man 1996 · Musically Speaking Copland Piano Music: Romantic and Modern 1996 · Cedille Copland: The Modernist 1996 · RCA Victor Red Seal Dance Symphony / Short Symphony / Organ Symphony 1996 · RCA Victor Red Seal Orchestral Works 1996 · Sony Classical
Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring 1997 · NorthSound
Suite from The Tender Land / Appalachian Spring Suite 1997 · KOCH International Classics The Music of America 1997 · Telarc Digital Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man 1998 · Sony Classical He Got Game: Motion Picture Soundtrack 1998 · Sony Classical Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Rodeo / El Salón México 1999 · RCA Red Seal Fanfare for the Common Man/ Appalachian Spring/ El Salón México/ 4 Dance Episodes from "Rodeo" 1999 · Decca Classics Copland: The Populist 2000 · RCA Victor Red Seal Fanfare for the Common Man / Appalachian Spring / Symphony no. 3 2000 · Reference Recordings Fanfare for the Common Man: On Aaron Copland, the Man and His Music 2000 · RCA Victor Red Seal Sacred & Secular Choral Music 2000 · [no label] Appalachian Spring (Ballet Suite) / Clarinet Concerto 2002 · Naxos New England Landscapes 2002 · Denouement Records Symphony no. 3 / Billy the Kid (Suite) 2002 · Naxos The Tender Land 2002 · Albany Records Third Symphony / Music for the Theatre 2002 · Telarc Digital Orchestral Works 2003 · Decca Classics Something Wild 2003 · Varèse Sarabande Copland: Fanfare / Rodeo; Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis 2004 · Telarc Lincoln Portrait & Other Works 2004 · Telarc Digital Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Rodeo 2005 · RCA Red Seal Copland: Inscape / Sessions: Symphony no. 8 / Perle: Trancendental Modulations / Rands: ...where the murmurs die... 2005 · New World Records Music For The Theatre Vol. 2 2005 · Arte Nova Classics Piano Fantasy / Piano Sonata 2005 · Naxos American Jazz Concertos 2006 · Summit Records BBC Music, Volume 15, Number 2: American Landmarks 2006 · BBC Music Magazine Piano Sonata and Other Works 2006 · Marquis Classics Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes) / The Red Pony (Suite) / Prairie Journal / Letter from Home 2006 · Naxos Dance Symphony / Symphony no. 1 / Short Symphony 2008 · Naxos Piano Concerto / The Tender Land (Suite) / Old American Songs 2008 · Naxos International Variations, Sonata, Fantasy 2008 · Albany Records Aaron Copland: The Red Pony / Benjamin Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem 2009 · Sony Classical Of Mice and Men / Our Town 2009 · Naxos An American New Year’s Eve 2010 · New York Philharmonic Complete Solo Piano Works, Vol. 1 2010 · Centaur Records, Inc. Quiet City 2011 · Sono Luminus Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite / Symphonic Ode / Creston: Symphony no. 3 "Three Mysteries" 2012 · Naxos Copland: Piano Concerto / Menotti: Piano Concerto 2012 · Vanguard Classics Copland: Quiet City, Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson / Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Capricorn Concerto / Gershwin: Summertime 2012 · Somm Recordings Rodeo - Piano Concerto - Billy the Kid 2012 · Naxos Copland Conducts Copland 2013 · Regis Rodeo / Dance Panels / El salón México / Danzón cubano 2013 · Naxos
Copland: Appalachian Spring; Symphony No 3 2014
Hallowed Ground 2014 · Live · Fanfare Cincinnati American Works for Cello and Piano 2015 · Chandos Billy The Kid / Rodeo / El Salón México / An Outdoor Overture 2015 · BIS Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet) / Hear Ye! Hear Ye! 2016 · Naxos Orchestral Works 1: Ballets 2016 · Chandos Orchestral Works 2: Symphonies 2016 · Chandos Aaron Copland: Essential Works 2017 · Menuetto Classics Symphony no. 3 / Three Latin American Sketches 2017 · Naxos The Red Pony / The Heiress 2017 · Intrada Copland: Symphony no. 3 / Clarinet Concerto / Carter: Holiday Overture / Ives: Decoration Day 2018 · Live · Testament Orchestral Works 3: Symphonies 2018 · Chandos Orchestral Works 4: Symphonies 2018 · Chandos Billy the Kid / Grohg 2019 · Naxos Pan‐American Reflections 2019 · Linn Records Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Appalachian Spring / Strauss: Duet Concertino / Capriccio 2020 · Signum Classics Symphony no. 3 2020 · SFS Media Danzón 2021 Copland: The Tender Land Suite / Creston: Saxophone Concerto / Kay: Pietà / Piston: The Incredible Flutist Suite 2023 · Naxos Symphony no. 3 2023 · Universal Music Australia Appalachian Spring / Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo / El Salon México 2024 · Warner Classics Copland: Works for Orchestra 2024 · Vox Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid 2025 · Mercury Records BBC Music, Volume 34, Number 13: Copland: Appalachian Spring / Ives: Three Places in New England 2026 · BBC Music Magazine Copland: Symphony no. 3 / Walker: Sinfonia no. 5 2026 · Live · LSO Live A Centenary Tribute
Aaron Copland: 81st Birthday Concert
Aaron Copland: Kammermusik American Chamber Music · Sony Music
Appalachian Spring
Billy The Kid / Rodeo · CBS Billy the Kid / Symphony no. 3 · Everest Records Copland: Appalachian Spring / Gould: Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra · Everest Records El Salón México / Dance Symphony / Fanfare for the Common Man / Four Dance Episodes From "Rodeo" · London Records Fanfare for the Common Man · EMI Eminence Old American Songs, Canticle of Freedom & 4 Motets · Sony Classical Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes) / Appalachian Spring (Suite) · Seraphim Sextet / Piano Quartet / Vitebsk / 3 String Quartet Pieces The American Clarinet The Best of Copland · CBS Records Masterworks The Piano Music of Aaron Copland · Eroica Classical Recordings The Tender Land · KOCH International Classics Third Symphony · Everest Records

Awards

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Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Aaron Copland play?

Aaron Copland is known for playing piano.

When and where was Aaron Copland born?

Aaron Copland was born 14 November 1900 in Brooklyn.

What are Aaron Copland's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Copland: Sextet for String Quartet, Clarinet and Piano / Kohs: Chamber Concerto (1953), Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land - Suite (1960), Copland: The Red Pony & Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20 (1964), Aaron Copland Conducts: Music for a Great City / Statements (1966) and The Copland Album: Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / El Salón México / Rodeo (1970).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.