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7 Leroy Anderson June 29, 1908 May 18, 1975 Leroy Anderson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Swedish parents. He received his earliest musical training from his mother, who was a church organist. By age 11, Anderson was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. Later Anderson received both a B.A. and M.A. in music from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Anderson arranged many pieces for the Harvard Band. His talent came to the attention of Arthur Fiedler, who asked him to arrange some music for the Boston Pops. Fiedler also wanted original compositions the pops premiered Anderson s Jazz Pizzicato in In 1942, Anderson was drafted into the Army as a language specialist he was fluent in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese! He rose to the rank of Captain, serving as Chief of the Scandinavian Desk of Military Intelligence at the Pentagon. Throughout his military career, he never stopped composing. He wrote Promenade and The Syncopated Clock while working at the Pentagon! At the end of the war he was offered a military position in Sweden, but he declined, wishing to dedicate his life to composing. Anderson composed one hit after another throughout the 50 s and 60 s. Some of his most enduring works include Sleigh Ride, Typewriter, Plink Plank Plunk and Blue Tango. He wrote several more serious works, including a piano concerto, but he will always be famous as an American master of lighter orchestral music.

8 Ludwig van Beethoven December 16, 1770 March 26, 1827 Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in His parents were Johann van Beethoven, a tenor singer who also gave violin and piano lessons, and Maria Magdalena Keverich. Beethoven had six brothers and sisters, but only two survived past childhood. Young Beethoven s musical talent was apparent from an early age. His first music teacher was his father. By age eight, Ludwig was learning to play the organ and viola in addition to his piano studies. At age 10, Beethoven began studying with Christian Gottlob Neefe, a court organ player. Neefe helped Beethoven publish his first piece of music at age 13. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and spent the rest of his life there. He did not immediately try to establish himself as a composer, preferring to study and play piano. However, by his late 20 s Beethoven suffered from hearing loss so severe that he had to give up performance. He continued to compose however, even when completely deaf. In fact, some of his greatest works were composed after he lost his hearing! Some of Beethoven s most popular pieces include Fur Elise and the 5 th and 9 th Symphonies. His compositions bridged the period between the Classical and Romantic Eras, and Beethoven has long been acknowledged as one of the greatest composers of all time.

9 Sir Edward Elgar June 2, 1857 February 23, 1934 Edward Elgar was born in a small village near Worcester, England. His father was a piano tuner who also sold musical instruments and sheet music, so Elgar was introduced to music at an early age. He began piano lessons at age eight and was composing by age 10. Elgar never studied music in a formal setting; he wished to attend the Leipzig Conservatory but the family could not afford it. Critics would later say that this was a good thing Elgar s music was purely English without any outside influences. Though Elgar published many pieces, he was not known as a great composer until he published the Enigma Variations at age 42. This work was the turning point in his career, establishing him as the most important English composer of his generation. He went on to a long career of national and international fame. He was knighted in 1904 at Buckingham Palace and enjoyed a prominent place in English society until his death in 1934.

10 Edvard Grieg June 15, 1843 September 4, 1907 Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway in His mother was a music teacher who taught him piano from the age of six. At age 15, Grieg met the famous Norwegian violinist Ole Bull. Bull recognized Grieg s talent and convinced his parents to send him to the Leipzig Conservatory. Grieg continued to focus on piano at the conservatory, making his debut as a concert pianist in In 1863, Grieg traveled to Denmark, where he would remain for three years. There he met several prominent Danish composers as well as fellow Norwegian composer Rikard Nordraak. These new friendships were a source of inspiration for Grieg and he began to compose more during this time period. Grieg is known as a nationalist composer he drew on Norwegian folk songs for his musical inspiration. The most famous example of this is his incidental music for the play Peer Gynt. The play was written by the great Norwegian playwright Heinrich Ibsen, who asked Grieg to write music for it. Because of Grieg s fame as a nationalist composer he was the natural choice. Other popular works include the Holberg Suite and the Piano Concerto in A Minor. Towards the end of his life, Grieg made nine recordings of his piano music in Paris. Recorded in 1903, the quality of the discs is not high, but they show his talent as a pianist. When Grieg died in 1907, 40,000 people lined the streets for his funeral. His ashes are entombed in a mountain crypt near his house in Troldhaugen.

11 Felix Mendelssohn February 3, 1809 November 4, 1847 Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1809 to Abraham and Lea Mendelssohn. He grew up in a wealthy household with parents who encouraged his musical talent. Mendelssohn s father was cautious about putting too much time into music, but once it was clear that Felix was serious about music Abraham fully supported him. Felix grew up surrounded by music; his family held weekly concerts at their house and he began taking piano lessons at age seven. By age eight, he was studying composition. Felix entered the Singakadamie at age 10 by this time he was composing continuously. The first public performance of Mendelssohn s works took place in 1822, when he was 13 years old. His music was well received. He had his own private orchestra by this time, and he wrote many works for them. In 1827, Mendelssohn s first and only opera, The Marriage of Camacho, was produced. It was not a success, which discouraged him from writing any more music for the stage. In 1829, Mendelssohn conducted the first performance of Bach s St. Matthew Passion in over 75 years. In addition to bringing long overdue attention to Bach s works, the performance brought Mendelssohn international praise. In 1830, Mendelssohn began a tour of major European cities that would last for three years. His travels were the inspiration for several works, including his Scotch and Italian Symphonies. In 1835 he was appointed the conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. This led to a long association with the city of Leipzig Mendelssohn was active not only with the orchestra, but also with the opera house, the Choir at St. Thomas Church and other local institutions. In 1843 Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory, which attracted many other famous teachers and musicians. Today the Conservatory is the oldest university school of music in Germany. Mendelssohn remained in Leipzig until his death a few years later, at the age of 38.

12 Modest Mussorgsky March 21, 1839 March 28, 1881 Modest Mussorgsky was born in Karevo, Russia. He studied piano with his mother from age six, and it was clear early on that he was a talented musician. At age 10, Mussorgsky went to St. Petersburg to study at the elite Peterschule (St. Peter s School.) By age 12, he was ready to publish a short piano piece at his father s expense. As a member of a noble family, Mussorgsky was expected to serve in the military. He entered the Cadet School of the Guards at age 13, where he was much sought after for his musical skills. He could play the dances popular at the time as well as his own improvisations. In 1858 Mussorgsky met Mily Balakirev, a fellow Russian composer. This meeting had a huge impact on the young man within a few months of meeting Balakirev he had resigned his army commission to compose full time. He became one of the composers known as The Five, a group which also included Balakirev, Cesar Cui, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. These composers were known for their specifically Russian music. They used Russian folk songs, church chants, and fairy tales for inspiration. Mussorgsky wrote many famous pieces during his career, including the opera Boris Godunov and Pictures at an Exhibition. Perhaps his most famous work is Night on Bald Mountain. However, Mussorgsky never made his living by composing. He was a government employee for much of his adult life. Mussorgsky died in 1881 and was buried in St. Petersburg.

13 Johannes Brahms May 7, 1833 April 3, 1897 Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany. His father was a town musician and gave him his first musical training. Brahms studied piano from age seven; he also briefly studied cello. At age 13 Brahms began studying theory and composition. Brahms first introduction to the public came during his concert tour with the Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi. It was on this tour that he met and befriended Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann. Brahms also became acquainted with Schumann s wife, Clara, with whom he had a devoted lifelong friendship. At the age of 29, Brahms settled in Vienna to focus fully on composing. He established a strong reputation as one of the leading composers of his time. Over the next thirty years he composed four symphonies, two piano concertos, and A German Requiem, among many other works. Brahms attempted to give up composing in 1890 but found he just couldn t do it; in his final years he completed several masterpieces including two clarinet sonatas. He died a famous and well-respected man. Today he is often mentioned as one of the 3 B s along with Bach and Beethoven.

14 Here are some words that you need to know before the concert: Members of the Orchestra 1. String Section The string section consists of the Violins, Violas, Cellos and Basses. Stringed instruments are played by drawing a bow across the strings or by plucking the strings with the fingers. 2. Woodwind Section The woodwind instruments are the Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon. Woodwind players produce sound by blowing air into a mouthpiece. Most woodwind instruments have reeds, which vibrate very quickly to produce the sound of the instrument. 3. Brass Section The brass instruments are the French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, and Tuba. Brass players make sound by buzzing their lips while blowing into the mouthpiece. Brass players change notes with the help of valves or slides. 4. Percussion Section There are hundreds of different percussion instruments! Some of the most common are the Tympani, Snare Drum, and Cymbals. Percussion instruments make sound when the percussionist strikes or shakes them. 5. Conductor The conductor tells the musicians when and what to play. The conductor gives the musicians non-verbal signals either with his hands or by using a small stick called a baton. 6. Concertmaster/Concertmistress The concertmaster is the most important violin player in the orchestra. He/She is the leader of the string section and will play most of the violin solos.

15 Other Musical Terms 1. Melody a musical line that is the tune of the piece. This is the part you will probably be humming when you leave the concert! 2. Countermelody a second musical line that intertwines with the melody. 3. Accompaniment a musical line that is less important than the melody. Accompaniment parts support the melody. 4. Chord two or more notes played at the same time. 5. Solo part of a composition written for a single instrument. 6. Cadenza an extended and embellished solo. Cadenzas are intended to let the soloist show off. 7. Unison the sounding of the same note by two or more players; simultaneous playing of a note by different instruments. 8. Tuning Note the note that the Oboe plays before a concert. All the other players tune their instruments to this exact pitch. 9. Folk Music any music that comes from a common culture. This music is often passed on from generation to generation without the aid of written notation. 10. Fanfare a short piece of music played to announce someone or something. Fanfares are often used to announce royalty or other important people, and are usually played by brass instruments. 11. Linguist someone who studies languages. Composer Leroy Anderson was a linguist he was fluent in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, German, French, Italian and Portuguese! 12. Conservatory a university level school of music.

16 STRINGS The string family is the largest section of the orchestra. The four main stringed instruments look similar but are all different sizes. Each can be played by plucking the strings with the fingers or by pulling a bow back and forth across the instrument s four strings. The VIOLIN is the smallest of the string instruments and can play the highest notes. Maybe this is why the violins are sometimes known as show offs! The violins often play the melody this is the tune you will be humming after you leave a performance. The VIOLA is slightly larger than the violin. Because it is bigger, it can play lower notes. Since the viola is only a little bit bigger than the violin it can be hard to tell them apart. The violas get to play many beautiful melodies just like the violins.

17 The CELLO is much larger than the violins and the violas. It is so large that the cellist must sit on a chair holding the cello between his or her knees in order to play. The cellos often play accompaniment parts. Because it is the largest of the stringed instruments, the DOUBLE BASS plays the lowest notes. This instrument is so large that the bass players have to stand up or sit on tall stools to play it. The basses often play accompaniment parts with the cellos.

18 Woodwinds Woodwind instruments produce sound when players blow air into them. All of these instruments were originally made out of wood, which is why they are called woodwinds! The Flute is made of metals such as silver, gold or platinum. The player produces musical notes by blowing air into a hole in the side of the instrument. Flutists change notes by pressing down round, metal buttons called keys. Flutes have a very high, light and beautiful sound which is probably why they often get to represent birds. The Oboe makes its sound when the player blows air through a mouthpiece containing cut pieces of reed made of bamboo. In the case of the oboe, the player ties two strips of reed together to make a double reed. The oboe has a very clear, penetrating sound. It is a very important instrument, as the oboist is the player who tunes the whole orchestra before every concert.

19 The Clarinet looks much like the oboe, but is a little bit fatter. The clarinetist makes a sound by blowing through a single reed attached to a mouthpiece. Clarinets can play very high and very low, very soft or very loud. They are used for many types of music, including classical, jazz and folk. The Bassoon is the largest of the main woodwind instruments. It looks like 3 wooden poles attached together. In fact, the Italian word for bassoon means bundle of sticks. The bassoon has the lowest sound of the woodwind instruments.

20 BRASS The brass instruments are long brass tubes curled and bent into different shapes. They flare out at one end into what is called a bell. At the other end of the instrument is the mouthpiece. The sound of the brass instruments is produced by the vibration of the player s lips as they blow through the mouthpiece. To change notes, brass instruments either have buttons, called valves, or a slide. The French Horn is a very long tube that is twisted and curled into an instrument about 1 foot wide. If you untwisted the tube, it would be 12 feet long! French Horns can have a very mellow sound, but they are also often used for hunting calls. The Trumpet is the smallest brass instrument. It can play the highest notes of all the brass instruments. Trumpets often play in marches or fanfares.

21 The Trombone is the only brass instrument that does not use valves. Instead, the play moves a curved tube called a slide back and forth in order to change notes. The Tuba is the largest and lowest sounding instrument in the brass section. If you uncoiled the tuba it would be 35 feet long!

22 Percussion Percussion instruments make sound when players strike, shake or scrape them. This section contains many different instruments. One of the most commonly used percussion instruments is the Tympani. Tympani are drums that look like huge copper bowls with a special covering stretched over the top. The tympani are played by striking the covering with padded sticks called mallets. Tympani are one of the only percussion instruments that produce a definite pitch. They come in many different sizes. Other common percussion instruments are the Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Triangle and Cymbals. The Snare Drum, Bass Drum, and Triangle all make sounds when they are struck by a mallet or stick. Cymbals make sounds when they are clashed together.