Who wrote Porgy and Bess?

• A. G. Gershwin
• B. Schoenberg
• C. John Adams
• D. Copland

Answer: (A)

Porgy and Bess is a landmark American opera composed by George Gershwin, with the libretto by DuBose Heyward and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The work blends operatic form with jazz-inflected melodies and spirituals, showcasing Gershwin’s knack for mixing genres to create a distinctly American sound. This is why the piece is associated with his name. The other composers—Schoenberg, John Adams, and Copland—are all notable American writers, but none of them authored Porgy and Bess: Schoenberg is known for atonality and the twelve-tone method, Adams for contemporary minimalist operas, and Copland for his accessible, explicitly American idiom. So the correct answer is George Gershwin.