June Composer Birthdays

This June we celebrate two fantastic pianists and composers from vastly different time periods. Edvard Grieg (b. June 15, 1843) and Chick Corea (June 12, 1941) were and are virtuosos of their time, respectively. Both composed music that was technically demanding, yet very popular to the general public.

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway. His mother was a music teacher and gave him his first lessons. After studying at a slew of schools, Grieg was enrolled in the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany. Grieg was famed for his ability to play piano, which is reflected in one of his most famous pieces, the Piano Concerto in A minor. This concerto is arguably the most famous piano concerto.

Grieg is also famed for his Peer Gynt Suite, which contains the movement "In the Hall of the Mountain King", a piece easily recognized by children and adults alike. His Holberg Suite, originally composed for piano, was arranged for string orchestra. Grieg championed a neo-classical style that harkened back to a hundred years earlier, reflecting on music that was harmonically simpler.

Our next composer, Chick Corea, is one of the greatest jazz pianists. He is known for his original compositions, and for playing with some of the jazz giants, such as Miles Davis. Born to a musical family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Corea ended up attending both Columbia University and Juilliard Conservatory for music, but after no more than a year dropped out to pursue gigging full time.

Corea has played everything from the classic jazz standards to avant-garde music. He is best known for his Latin jazz and jazz-fusion styles, featured on his album Light As A Feather. On the same album is the tune "Spain", which is covered by a countless number of artists. It is both physically challenging due to it's fast pace and highly entertaining to the listener.

There are so many different versions of this song, just listening to one doesn't do it justice, so check it out on YouTube!