Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975

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Leroy Anderson was born on June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His family was musical, and as a boy he studied double bass, organ, and trombone. He continued his musical education at Harvard, where his teachers included Walter Piston and Georges Enesco; he graduated from college in 1929, and earned the M.A. in 1930. In the early 1930s he did additional graduate work in Scandinavian languages at Harvard; he also directed the Harvard Band and held numerous other musical jobs. In 1936 Anderson arranged a medley of Harvard songs for Harvard Night at the Boston Pops. In the ensuing decades, he would become famous largely for the many pieces he composed or arranged for Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, including Jazz Pizzicato (1938), The Syncopated Clock (1945), Sleigh Ride (1948), The Typewriter (1950), and Blue Tango (1951). By the early 1950s, Anderson's music had become extraordinarily popular; his recordings sold in the millions, and American orchestras performed his works more frequently than those of any other American composer.Anderson later turned several of his most popular orchestral works into songs, with lyrics by Mitchell Parish; of these, Sleigh Ride has had the most lasting success. Anderson also composed a piano concerto (1953), as well as Goldilocks (1958), a Broadway musical with words by Walter and Jean Kerr and Joan Ford. In 1942 Anderson married Eleanor Jane Firke; they had a daughter and three sons. In 1949 the family settled in Woodbury, Connecticut. Leroy Anderson died in Woodbury on May 18, 1975.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Strong, Roger W. [The Department of Music, Central State University, presents the CSU Symphony Orchestra in a program of light orchestral music] [sound recording] : [Instrumental Rehearsal Room, December 9, 1971, 8:00 p.m.]. University of Central Oklahoma, Chambers Library
referencedIn Morris, Toby. Toby Morris photograph collection, 1947-1961. Museum of the Great Plains
creatorOf Philadelphia Orchestra. Transcription of WFLN radio broadcast [sound recording], 1975 August 21. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf The Leroy Anderson Papers, 1933-1988 (inclusive) Irving S. Gilmore Music Library
creatorOf Papers, 1930-1962. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Nicolas Slonimsky Collection, 1873-1997, (bulk 1920-1990) Library of Congress. Music Division
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. A trumpeter's lullaby / arr. for solo trumpet and clarinet choir by Lucien Cailliet. Illinois Newsp Project
creatorOf Matthews, Stephanie. Stephanie Matthews, trumpet, Dr. Sam Magrill, piano [sound recording] : junior recital, Tuesday, April 12, 2005, 8:00 pm, UCO Jazz Lab. University of Central Oklahoma, Chambers Library
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. The Leroy Anderson papers 1933-1988 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Harvard University Archives Photograph Collection: Portraits, ca. 1852-ca. 2004 Harvard University Archives.
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. Fête de Noël [Multimédia multisupport] / Leroy Anderson, comp. ; Orchestre symphonique SWF de Baden-Baden ; Klaus Arp, dir. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. Leroy Anderson collection, circa 1953-1993. Houghton Library
referencedIn Records of the Army Staff, 1903 - 2009. Official Military Personnel Files, 1912 - 1998 National Archives at St. Louis
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. A Leroy Anderson medley / arr. [by] Scott Wheeler ; violin part edited by Janet Packer. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
creatorOf Anderson, Leroy, 1908-1975. Fête de Noël [Multimédia multisupport] / Leroy Anderson, comp. ; Orchestre symphonique SWF de Baden-Baden ; Klaus Arp, dir. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Martin, Kyle. Kyle Martin, trumpet ... [sound recording] : junior recital, Tuesday, November 29, 2005, 7:30 pm, Recital Hall. University of Central Oklahoma, Chambers Library
referencedIn Johnny Green papers, 1920-1991. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
Relation Name
associatedWith Boston pops orchestra corporateBody
associatedWith Cailliet, Lucien, 1891-1985. person
associatedWith Edwards, Michael. person
associatedWith Fiedler, Arthur‏, 1894-1979‏ person
associatedWith Green, Johnny, 1908-1989 person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Harvard University corporateBody
associatedWith Martin, Kyle. person
associatedWith Matthews, Stephanie. person
associatedWith Morris, Toby. person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf New England Conservatory of Music corporateBody
associatedWith Packer, Janet. person
associatedWith Philadelphia Orchestra. corporateBody
correspondedWith Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1894-1995 person
memberOf United States. Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Army. Counter Intelligence Corps corporateBody
associatedWith United States. National Park Service corporateBody
associatedWith Wheeler, Scott, 1952- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Cambridge MA US
Woodbury CT US
Boston MA US
Woodbury CT US
Subject
Clarinet choir music, Arranged
Music
Orchestral music
Orchestral music
Orchestral music
Orchestral musicians
Popular instrumental music
Trumpet with wind ensemble, Arranged
Violin and piano music, Arranged
Occupation
Musicians
Arrangers
Composers
Music Composer
Music Composer and Arranger
Activity

Person

Birth 1908-06-29

Death 1975-05-18

Male

Americans

Norwegian,

Icelandic,

Portuguese,

Danish,

French,

Swedish,

German,

Italian,

English

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SNAC ID: 84316819