Arguably the best-known of all 20th-century composers George Gershwin's music encompasses with equal skill both the classical and popular genres. He was born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn New York City in September 1898 to immigrant Jewish parents. He died at the early age of 38 from a tumour in the brain. Gershwin's first employment was as a song plugger for a New York music publishing company. His first song was published in 1916 and a year later he had his first commercial successes with the rag Rialto Ripples. This was followed in 1919 by his first big international hit Swanee. Now established as a successful composer of popular songs between 1919 and 1933 Gershwin produced in collaboration with his elder brother Ira some of the most successful Broadway musicals.br /brIn 1924 he was commissioned by the band leader Paul Whiteman to produce what was to be his first 'serious' composition the Rhapsody in Blue. This was followed a year later by the Piano Concerto in F and in 1928 by An American in Paris. His opera Porgy and Bess was first performed on Broadway in 1935./font
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