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Leroy Anderson (/ l ə ˈ r ɔɪ / lə-ROY) (June 29, 1908 – May 18, 1975) was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler.
Leroy Anderson’s life and career serve as a beacon of inspiration to aspiring composers and music enthusiasts alike. His distinct musical style, innovative compositions, and enduring influence have cemented his legacy as one of the great masters of light orchestral music.
- Swedish Parents
- 1926 - 1930 Harvard Years
- 1931 - 1939 Boston Pops Orchestra Arranger
- 1940 - 1945 WW II - Military Intelligence
- 1946 - 1952 International Success
- 1953 - 1959 Piano Concerto and Musical Theater
- 1960 - 1969 Television and Guest Conducting
- 1970 - 1975 Recognition
- 1976 - 2006 Honors and Tributes
- 2007 - 2009 Leroy Anderson Centenary
Leroy Anderson was born on June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents were Swedish immigrants who had come to the United States as children. They lived at 269 Norfolk Street in Cambridge. His father, Bror Anton Anderson (B.A. Anderson), came from Övarp, Norra Strö, near Kristianstad in the province of Skåne. Bror worked as a postal cler...
At Harvard Leroy studied musical harmony with Walter Spalding, counterpoint with Edward Ballantine, canon and fugue with William C. Heilman, and orchestration with Edward B. Hill and Walter Piston. Leroy received a B.A., Magna cum laude in 1929 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an M.A., Music in 1930. In Harvard University Graduate Schoo...
As a graduate student Leroy resumed his role as Director of the Harvard University Band in 1931 and wrote numerous clever arrangements for the band that brought him to the attention of Arthur Fiedler, Director of the Boston Pops Orchestra. His first arrangement for Fiedler in 1936 was a medley of Harvard songs - Harvard Fantasy. In 1938 the Boston ...
At the start of World War II Leroy was drafted into the U.S. Army, which made use of his fluency in languages. He married Eleanor Jane Firke before shipping off to Iceland where he served as a translator and interpreter in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps, beginning in 1942. While there he wrote an Icelandic Grammar for the U.S. Army. "I wa...
The Andersons spent the summer of 1946 at Painter Hill in Woodbury, Connecticut. It was here that he started Sleigh Ride during a heat wave, first conceiving of the middle section. After the summer of 1946 was over, Leroy and Eleanor moved to New York City where they lived at 19 Parade Place in Brooklyn in an apartment that had been rented by Elean...
Though Leroy primarily utilized the medium of "orchestral miniature", he also experimented with the longer form in his most ambitious work - Concerto in C major for Piano and Orchestra in three movements - Allegro moderato, Anadante and Allegro vivo. It received its premiere on July 18, 1953 in Chicago by the Grant Park Symphony with Anderson as co...
Over the years, Leroy's pieces have been employed as themes in both radio and television. In the early 1950's, CBS-TV Channel 2 in NYC chose The Syncopated Clock as the theme for its program of movies called"The Late Show". CBS used it for more than 25 years. Plink, Plank, Plunk! was known to many in the '50's as the theme for the TV game show "I'v...
In 1972 the Boston Pops Orchestra paid tribute to Leroy in a televised concert that was broadcast nationwide. Leroy appeared on the program and guest-conducted one piece. It was, as he said to his wife Eleanor, "the most important evening of my life." Leroy returned to Cambridge the following year to conduct the orchestra at Cambridge Rindge and La...
Leroy Anderson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976 at 1620 Vine Street for his contribution to the recording industry. Leroy was elected posthumously to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1995 Harvard University named its new Harvard University Band headquarters the Anderson Band Centerin honor of Leroy Anderson. Cambridge, ...
During the Leroy Anderson Centenary, orchestras throughout the world performed tribute concerts during the 2007-2009 concert seasons which celebrated the composer's musical legacy. The Boston Pops Orchestra presented a tribute to Leroy Anderson at Symphony Hall in June of 2008. Keith Lockhart conducted several of the composer’s pieces after present...
Leroy Anderson American composer and conductor of light concert music Official website: Leroy Anderson 1908 - 1975
Apr 22, 2020 · critic’s notebook. Not Bach or Beethoven, but Leroy Anderson Is the Composer for Now. His charming, deceptively simple music will make you feel better about things. Share full article. Leroy...
- 2 min
- Anthony Tommasini
Leroy Anderson (born June 29, 1908, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.—died May 18, 1975, Woodbury, Conn.) was an American conductor, arranger, and composer of “ Sleigh Ride,” “ Blue Tango,” and other popular light orchestral music with memorable, optimistic melodies and often unusual percussion effects.
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Leroy Anderson, composer, arranger, conductor, and musician (ASCAP, BMG, SONY, UMG, Warner Chappell) Official Artist Channel features recordings by Leroy Anderson of his music: "Sleigh Ride",...
