Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961), American pianist and composer, who wrote about 400 compositions, many based on folk music, particularly that of the British Isles. He was born in Melbourne, Australia. He studied with his mother and later with the Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. He established his reputation as a piano virtuoso at a London recital in 1900. A friend of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, Grainger was a self-taught composer. His works for orchestra include Shepherd's Hey (1922); his chamber music includes Green Bushes (1921) and settings of British folk songs.