Born:
July 8, 1882
Birthplace:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died:
February 20, 1961 in White Plains, New York, U.S.A.
Also Known As:
George Percy Grainger was an Australian composer, conductor, pianist and avid collector of folk music.
Type of Compositions:
He wrote orchestral and chamber works, piano arrangements and vocal music. Much of his compositions were influenced by English folk music.
Influence:
Grainger was taught by his mother (with whom he remained close) and at age 10, had his first public performance as a pianist. He also received piano instruction from Louis Pabst. In 1895, Grainger went to Europe to study at the conservatory in Frankfurt. By 1901, he was attracting attention as a concert pianist in London. In 1905, he joined the English Folk Song Society. A year later, he met and became friends with another avid collector of folk songs; Edvard Grieg. Grainger was also friends with Frederick Delius.
Notable Works:
His major works include "Country Gardens," "The Warriors," "Molly on the Shore," "Handel in the Strand," "Shepherd’s Hey," "A Lincolnshire Posy," "Mock Morris" and "Hill Songs."
Interesting Facts:
Grainger moved to the U.S.A. in 1914 and eventually became a U.S. citizen. In 1922, Rose, his mother, committed suicide. After his mother's death, Grainger focused his attention to collecting Danish folk songs; he also returned to Australia twice as a concert pianist. Grainger became head of New York University's music department from 1932 to 1933. Two years later, he founded the Grainger Museum at Melbourne.
Related Video:
Listen to Percy Grainger's "Molly on the Shore" performed by the Newman Smith High School Wind Symphony courtesy of YouTube.
