Rhapsody in Blue was composed by which American?

• A. Aaron Copland
• B. George Gershwin
• C. Leonard Bernstein
• D. Charles Ives

Answer: (B)

Rhapsody in Blue captures the moment when American popular music and concert music began to fuse, creating a sound that feels both orchestral and distinctly jazzy. The composer behind this iconic piece is George Gershwin, a songwriter-turned-composer famed for marrying Broadway sensibilities with symphonic scale. He wrote Rhapsody in Blue for Paul Whiteman’s orchestra, premiering in 1924, and the work is renowned for its bold piano solo and lively, blues-inflected rhythms that helped define a new American musical voice. While other American giants like Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Charles Ives each left their own lasting legacies in different strands of American music, this particular work is Gershwin’s creation.