George Gershwin: An American Original

Register for this Summer 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website.
George Gershwin was one of a kind: composer, pianist, conductor, influencer, and crossover artist before that term was invented. By penning such masterpieces as Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris and Porgy and Bess , Gershwin embedded himself in American culture. We will survey his exceptional career, from Swanee to Shall We Dance; from his roots on the Lower East Side to Tin Pan Alley to Broadway and Hollywood. We will also chronicle a circle of luminaries such as his brother Ira, Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, Oscar Levant, Arnold Schoenberg, Paulette Goddard, and Paul Whiteman. We will explore the elements of jazz, blues, folk, Yiddish theater, pop and classical music that melded into a brand that is beloved throughout the world today. Summer 2023 tuition is $799.

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