ExclusiveGeorge Gershwin: Shaping the Sound of American Music

In the early 20th century, American music was still searching for its own identity. One composer helped bring together the many musical traditions of the United States into a distinctly American sound.

In this episode of American Legends, Tiffany Brannan explores the life and music of George Gershwin, one of the most influential American composers of the modern era.

Born in New York City in 1898 to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, Gershwin grew up surrounded by the energy and diversity of urban America. Though he began his career writing popular songs on Tin Pan Alley, he soon developed a style that blended:

• jazz and blues
• Broadway and popular song
• classical orchestration and symphonic form

His 1924 composition Rhapsody in Blue became a landmark in American music, combining jazz rhythms with classical structure in a way audiences had never heard before.

Gershwin would later compose other enduring works, including:

• An American in Paris
• Concerto in F
• the opera Porgy and Bess

Through these works, he helped establish the idea that American music could stand alongside the great classical traditions of Europe while still remaining uniquely American.

This episode explores:

• the life of George Gershwin
• the origins of Rhapsody in Blue
• jazz influences in classical music
• Broadway and the Great American Songbook
• Porgy and Bess and American opera

Discover the story of George Gershwin, whose music helped define the sound of 20th-century America.

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