Percy Grainger

PERCY GRAINGER d1961. Prolific Innovative Australian born composer of over 1200 works, probably best known for his solo piano piece Country Gardens which despite assisting in securing his financial circumstances and reputation he grew to detest playing. By 1925, he was commanding fees of $5000 a week for performing and $200 an hour giving private lessons. In 1929, he developed a style of orchestration known as Elastic Scoring. He became Dean of Music at New York University in 1932 making Jazz music part of his syllabus. His music declined in popularity after WW2 which hit his spirits hard and his personal life was often controversial. In later years his health declined and he often played for free. He died of cancer in 1961. Many items from his life are nowadays preserved at The Grainger Museum within the grounds of The University of Melbourne