Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1913 December 10 | Born in New York, New York |
| 1919 | Studied piano with Ferdinand Greenwald |
| 1920 | First published composition, Just Six, for piano |
| 1922 | First radio broadcast from Bamberger’s department store in Newark, New Jersey |
| 1923 | Studied theory, harmony, and composition with Vincent Jones at the Institute of Musical Art (later The Juilliard School) |
| 1928 | Met piano teacher Abby Whiteside |
| 1929 | Composed A Manhattan Rhapsody for orchestra |
| 1933 | Chorale and Fugue in Jazz commissioned for Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra Began working at NBC |
| 1935-1943 | Conducted, composed, and arranged for the radio program Music for Today on WOR, New York |
| 1936 | Joined ASCAP Married Shirley Uzin (divorced 1943) |
| 1938 June 16 | Premiere of Concerto for Piano on WOR |
| 1939 | Composed Foster Gallery at the suggestion of Fritz Reiner |
| 1941 | Conducted Spirituals at a New York festival Signed contract with Columbia Records |
| 1942 | Composed Fanfare for Freedom for Eugene Goossens |
| 1942 November | Premiered American Salute on the Cresta Blanca Carnival radio show |
| 1943 | Appointed director of the Chrysler Hour on CBS Composed Symphony no. 1 for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Fritz Reiner |
| 1944 | Married Shirley Bank |
| 1945 | Appeared with his orchestra in the film Delightfully Dangerous with Jane Powell |
| 1945 February 16 | Son Eric born |
| 1945 | Wrote musical Billion Dollar Baby with Betty Comden and Adolph Green Collaborated with Jerome Robbins on Interplay |
| 1946 | Signed contract with publisher Chappell and Co. Inc. |
| 1947 March 2 | Son David born |
| 1947 | Collaborated with Agnes de Mille on Fall River Legend |
| 1950 February 3 | Daughter Abby born |
| 1950 | Wrote Arms and the Girl, a musical with a book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and choreography by Michael Kidd |
| 1952 | Composed Tap Dance Concerto for tap dancer and orchestra Moved with wife and family to Great Neck, New York |
| 1954 December 23 | Daughter Deborah born |
| 1954 | Signed recording contract with RCA Records |
| 1955 | Composed Derivations for Benny Goodman and his jazz combo |
| 1956 | Declaration for orchestra commissioned by WRC in Washington, D.C., for president Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second inauguration |
| 1959 | Joined board of ASCAP |
| 1964-1965 | Composed score for television documentary World War I |
| 1975 | Signed contract with publisher G. Schirmer Composed Symphony of Spirituals for orchestra |
| 1976 | Composed American Ballads for orchestra |
| 1983 | Collaborated with Jerome Robbins on the ballet Astaire Variations |
| 1984 | American Sing for soloist and orchestra commissioned for the summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles |
| 1986 | Elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters |
| 1986-1994 | Served as president of ASCAP |
| 1992 | Composed The Jogger and the Dinosaur for the Pittsburgh Youth Orchestra |
| 1993 | Composed Ghost Waltzes for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition |
| 1994 | Received Kennedy Center Honor |
| 1995 | Won Pulitzer Prize for Stringmusic for string orchestra |
| 1996 February 21 | Died in Orlando, Florida |