Leroy Anderson
(1908-1975)

Leroy Anderson is often regarded as one of greatest 20^th century composers of American instrumental music paralleling the fame of George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Charles Ives. His music has entrenched the American music scene, making his compositions such as Sleigh Ride, Blue Tango, and The Syncopated Clock among the some of the most recognizable in the American culture. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to first-generation Swedish immigrant parents, Leroy was given piano lessons by his mother, who was an organist. In efforts to further his musical upbringing, he entered the New England Conservatory at age 11 before settling at Harvard University in 1926. Anderson finished his education at Harvard completing a B.A. in 1929, and an M.A. in music in 1930. Skeptical that his career in music held much promise, Leroy pursed intentions of becoming a language teacher, and began working on a PhD in German and Scandinavian languages which would later come in handy while serving in the U.S. Army during WW II. Any doubts of his compositional expertise were laid to rest when Arthur Fiedler, Director of the Boston Pops Orchestra took notice of his arrangements. Anderson’s first composition, Jazz Pizzicato became an immediate hit after being performed by the Boston Pops in 1938. Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops went on to perform many of Leroy’s now famous miniatures and were amongst the first to premier and record the compositions. Fielder continued to premier his works including Sleigh Ride, Fiddle-Faddle, The Syncopated Clock, and Trumpeter’s Lullaby, until 1950, establishing Anderson as the pre-eminent composer of light concert music in America. Over time, Anderson’s music has been widely spread throughout the United States making it as iconic as the flag and apple pie. His compositions have been used as themes for radio and television broadcast, and as entertainment for visiting government officials at the White House. The Syncopated Clock was chosen in the early 1950’s by CBS as the theme for “The Late Show”, while Plink, Plank, Plunk!, “I’ve Got a Secret”, and The Typewriter became popular favorites for TV games shows and a variety of radio news programs in the U.S. Anderson’s compositions possess a timeless quality making it familiar to each new generation and allowing it to remain at the forefront of American music.

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