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Strayhorn, Billy

(Encyclopedia)Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas Strayhorn), 1915–67, African-American jazz composer, arranger, lyricist, and pianist, b. Dayton, Ohio. Classically trained, he was drawn to jazz, and early in his ca...

Vaughan, Sarah

(Encyclopedia)Vaughan, Sarah (Sarah Lois Vaughan), 1924–90, American jazz singer, b. Newark, N.J. Nicknamed “Sassie” and “the divine one,” she studied piano and organ, began singing in her church choir, a...

Campion, Jane

(Encyclopedia)Campion, Jane, 1954–, New Zealand film director, b. Wellington; grad. Victoria Univ., Wellington (1975), Sydney College of the Arts, Australia (1979), Australian School of Film and Television, Sydne...

Villa-Lobos, Heitor

(Encyclopedia)Villa-Lobos, Heitor āˈtôr vēˈlä-lôˈbôs [key], 1887–1959, Brazilian composer, educated in Brazil but self-taught in composition. He developed an interest in Brazilian folk music, which becam...

Dvořák, Antonín

(Encyclopedia)Dvořák, Antonín änˈtônēn dvôrˈzhäk [key], 1841–1904, Czech composer. He studied at the Organ School, Prague (1857–59) and played viola in the National Theater Orchestra (1861–71) under...

Brubeck, Dave

(Encyclopedia)Brubeck, Dave (David Warren Brubeck) bro͞oˈbĕk [key], 1920–2012, American pianist an...

Bülow, Hans Guido, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Bülow, Hans Guido, Freiherr von frīˈhĕr fən büˈlō [key], 1830–94, German pianist and conductor. After hearing Wagner's Lohengrin in 1850 at Weimar under Liszt's direction, he studied piano ...

Ratmansky, Alexei Osipovich

(Encyclopedia)Ratmansky, Alexei Osipovich, 1968–, Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. He studied with the Bolshoi Ballet school (1978–86), then danced with the Kiev Ballet; he later danced with the Royal W...

Previn, Sir André

(Encyclopedia)Previn, Sir André prĕvˈĭn [key], 1929–2019, American conductor, composer, and pianist, b. Germany as Andreas Ludwig Priwin. His family fled Nazi Germany in 1938, and he became an American citize...

Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio jōäk-kēˈnō äntôˈnyō rōs-sēˈnē [key], 1792–1868, Italian operatic composer, one of the great masters of the Italian opera buffa. His parents were both musicia...