Portrait of composer and conductor Aaron Copland (1900-1990). Copland defined the sound of American classical music in his compositions, with his ballet music Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid as best known pieces. I always enjoy hearing his Old American Songs as well, a bundle of folk songs that had its first performance in 1950 at the Aldeburgh festival by his good friends Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Copland never actually came out of the closet (when his colleague and friend Leonard Bernstein asked him to, Copland replied 'I leave that to you'), but he openly lived and traveled with his partners and was friends with many other gay composers and artists. #aaroncopland #composer #queercomposer #musician #classicalmusic #conductor #benjaminbritten #peterpears #aldeburghfestival #portrait #americanmusic #appalachianspring #leonardbernstein https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXAWDWNaFP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
