Gershwin

George Gershwin (1898-1937) was an American composer and conductor. Born in New York to a Jewish family from St. Petersburg, George Gershwin made his debut as an orchestral pianist on Broadway. His brother, Israël known as "Ira", a lyricist, wrote most of the words for his songs. As a creator of symphonic jazz, he made his musicals become big hits. George Gershwin rubbed shoulders with Maurice Ravel, Alban Berg, Arnold Schönberg... Much of Gershwin's music became great jazz standards, sung by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock. Gershwin died prematurely at the age of 38 from a brain tumour.