Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career, conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as the 'Dean of American Composers.' Copland's music achieved a balance between modern music and American folk styles, which many critics and experts believe is the reason he is so widely celebrated even today, years after his death in 1990.
