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George Gershwin

George Gershwin
Photo: Spotify

About

George Gershwin (1898-1937) was an American composer and pianist, born in Brooklyn to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, whose work permanently reshaped the boundary between popular song and the concert hall. His orchestral pieces - above all Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928) - wove jazz rhythms and blues tonality into a symphonic language that was entirely his own. Working closely with his lyricist brother Ira, he produced a string of Broadway hits before completing his most ambitious project, the folk opera Porgy and Bess (1935), which remains a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire. He died of a brain tumour at 38, leaving a body of work that, as encyclopedia.com notes, continues to be performed with ever-growing frequency.

90
years since Porgy and Bess world premiere (1935), marked by Met Opera 2025-26 run
22
Broadway musical comedies written with Ira Gershwin
1924
year Rhapsody in Blue premiered, now one of the most-recorded American concert works

What's new

  • 2025-12

    The Metropolitan Opera opened a new run of Porgy and Bess on December 2, 2025, marking the opera's 90th anniversary, with 13 performances through January 24, 2026.

  • 2025-12

    The Met's 2025-26 Porgy and Bess production featured conductor Kwamé Ryan in his company debut and the Met role debuts of bass-baritone Alfred Walker and soprano Brittany Renee as the title couple.

  • 2025-08

    A podcast episode from The Bowery Boys (August 2025) explored the dramatic backstory of Rhapsody in Blue, tracing how Gershwin composed the piece in five weeks after learning of it from a newspaper article.

  • 2026-06

    The Philadelphia Orchestra programmed Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F alongside Bernstein works for its June 2026 season finale, celebrating two defining American voices of the 20th century.

  • 2026-03

    The Philadelphia Orchestra presented a one-night celebration of Gershwin's most iconic works in March 2026, with Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino performing Rhapsody in Blue.

Tracks

Rhapsody in Bluepremiered 1924, landmark fusion of jazz and symphonic form, one of the most recorded American concert works
An American in Parisorchestral tone poem, 1928, inspired by Gershwin's time in France
Porgy and Bessfolk opera, 1935, includes the aria 'Summertime'; cornerstone of the operatic repertoire
Piano Concerto in F1925, considered by many his finest orchestral work
Embraceable You / I Got RhythmBroadway songs written with Ira Gershwin, standards of the American popular songbook

😴 Nothing scheduled with this artist in the near future.

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