George Gershwin
Date of Birth: September 26, 1898
Date of Death: July 11, 1937 (38)
Birth Place: Brooklyn, NY
Latest News on George Gershwin:
BIO
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898, and began his musical training when he was 13. At 16 he quit high school to work as a "song plugger" for a music publisher, and soon he was writing songs himself. "Swanee," as introduced by Al Jolson, brought George his first real fame and led to his writing a succession of 22 musical comedies, most with his older brother, Ira. The Gershwins' shows include Lady Be Good, Oh, Kay!, Strike Up the Band, Girl Crazy, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Of Thee I Sing. From his early career George had ambitions to compose serious music, and his classical masterpieces include "Rhapsody In Blue," "Concerto In F," "An American In Paris" and "Second Rhapsody." In the late '20s George became fascinated by the DuBose Heyward novel Porgy, recognizing it as a perfect vehicle for opera using jazz and blues idioms. The folk opera Porgy and Bess had its Broadway premiere in October of 1935. In 1937 George was at the height of his career. While working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies in Hollywood, he collapsed, and on July 11, died of a brain tumor. He was not quite 39 years old.
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George Gershwin
Connection
Movies
[ 1937 ] music by
[ 1938 ] music by
[ 1945 ] music
[ 1951 ] music by
[ 1957 ] songwriter
[ 1964 ] songs by
[ 2013 ] music
[ 2018 ] music and lyrics by
Awards and Nominations
George Gershwin, The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess
winner
George Gershwin, Crazy For You
Videos
Video: First Look at GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR at Farmers Alley Theatre
by Joshua Wright - 2026-04-22 15:31:56
Video: Brittany Renee And Ryan Speedo Green Sing From PORGY AND BESS At The Metropolitan Opera
by A.A. Cristi - 2025-12-29 20:41:17
News
by Stephi Wild - Aug 21, 2026
Vocalist Hannah Rodriguez will join the Denver Concert Band for a program of jazz, Broadway, and marches from the 1920s, closing with Percy Grainger's LINCOLNSHIRE POSY.
by Stephi Wild - Aug 21, 2026
The Grammy-winning string quartet ETHEL will perform at the grand opening of The Cultural Center at St. John's in Greenpoint, launching a new chamber music series at the historic Brooklyn church.
by Louise Penn - Aug 21, 2026
American jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire joins the BBC Concert Orchestra and Miho Hazama for a celebration of jazz legend Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth. Although diverse and enjoyable, it is a little less Davis and a little more everything else thanks to some over-orchestration.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 19, 2026
Los Angeles Ballet will open its 21st season with a debut performance at the Hollywood Bowl, marking the company's first appearance at the iconic Los Angeles venue.
by Elliot Lanes - Aug 20, 2026
One of the best way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday took place at Wolf Trap this past Saturday evening. The concert entitled Gershwin, Bernstein & American Mosaic featured great music from some of our most legendary composers as well as a new piece written by a modern day musical genius. All of this audible brilliance was executed superbly by YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) under the direction of Maestro Gianandrea Noseda.
by Rachel Stone - Aug 19, 2026
Capri Records will reissue guitarist Joshua Breakstone's debut album WONDERFUL!, featuring Barry Harris, Earl Sauls and Leroy Williams, out of print for nearly four decades and appearing on CD for the first time.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 17, 2026
M.A.D.D. Rhythms will mark its 25th anniversary with the Chicago Tap Summit at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, featuring premieres, classes, panels and a new documentary about the company.
by Rachel Stone - Aug 17, 2026
Pianist Mike Jones, music director for Penn & Teller, will release a live album revisiting the drummerless jazz trio tradition through Capri Records.
by Stephi Wild - Aug 12, 2026
Philanthropist Barbara Tober made her annual trip to East Hampton where she underwrote a concert with pianist Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner at LongHouse in honor of its founder, Jack Lenor Larsen’s birthday. Check out photos here!
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 6, 2026
Hershey Felder will return to People's Light with RACHMANINOFF AND THE TSAR, a musical drama starring Felder and Jonathan Silvestri as Russia's last emperor, for a limited engagement in Malvern.
by Stephi Wild - Aug 5, 2026
Jazz pianist Ron Drotos will return to Pangea with vocalists Lina Koutrakos, Dorian Woodruff, and Juliet Ewing for two evenings of jazz, bossa, ballads, and blues.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 3, 2026
Richard Atkins will perform a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, with proceeds supporting Education Through Music and a guest appearance by young Bronx pianist Jason Afovi.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Aug 2, 2026
Over the years, Broadway has seen a number of family acts sharing the stage. It’s extra special when family members team up to write a Broadway show together. The Great White Way has seen many instances of this historically, in a variety of different situations. While last week’s column focused on spouses penning shows together, this week is all about blood relatives partnering to write work.
by Andrew Poretz - Jul 27, 2026
Allan Harris brought the spirit of an intimate Harlem house party to Birdland with Harlem After Dark, joined by Maya Azucena, AC Lincoln, and a stellar jazz trio for an evening of blues, swing, tap dance, and irresistible musical chemistry.
by Fasika Velasco Gomez - Jul 24, 2026
Ana San Martín y Daniel Anglès pondrán voz a este recorrido por algunos de los grandes títulos de Broadway y el West End junto a la Banda Municipal de Barcelona, bajo la dirección de Sergi Cuenca.
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 23, 2026
Carnegie Hall announced pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and soprano Angel Blue will perform WHEN RAVEL MEETS GERSHWIN IN MANHATTAN, a narrated concert blending live music, archival visuals, and storytelling about Ravel's 1928 American tour.
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 23, 2026
New World Symphony announced its 2026-27 WALLCAST® concert series, featuring seven free outdoor live broadcasts projected onto the New World Center's exterior wall in SoundScape Park.
by Marina Kennedy - Jul 23, 2026
Sora Salon Series’ one-night pop-up at The Lobby Bar at Hotel Chelsea, an immersive cultural experience that brings together classical music, Japanese hospitality, and one of New York's most iconic artistic institutions on Wednesday, August 5th from 6:00–9:00 PM.
by Joshua Wright - Jul 24, 2026
New York City Opera will present a Celebration of Ella Fitzgerald concert in Bryant Park, featuring three-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Latonia Moore honoring the music of 'The First Lady of Song.'
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Jul 21, 2026
1965, New York City. Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman’s romance is against the law. In their secret nightclub act, “Midnight,” they perform love songs in an act of defiance of a world that demands they stay hidden. As tensions rise at the start of a historic movement, Trevor and Arthur are torn between their own surreptitious affair and the oncoming storm of social revolution. What did the critics think?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
George Gershwin has written 48 shows including Half-Past Eight (Composer), La, La, Lucille (Composer), La-La-Lucille! (Composer), Morris Gest's "Midnight Whirl" (Composer), George White's Scandals [1920] (Composer), Snapshots of 1921 (Composer), The Broadway Whirl (Composer), George White's Scandals [1921] (Composer), The French Doll (Composer), George White's Scandals [1922] (Composer), Our Nell (Composer), George White's Scandals [1923] (Composer), Sweet Little Devil (Composer), George White's Scandals [1924] (Composer), Primrose (Composer), Lady, Be Good (Composer), Tell Me More! (Composer), Tip-Toes (Composer), Song of the Flame (Composer), Oh, Kay! (Composer), Strike Up the Band (Composer), Funny Face (Composer), Rosalie (Composer), Treasure Girl (Composer), Show Girl (Composer), Girl Crazy (Composer), Of Thee I Sing (Composer), Pardon My English (Composer), Let 'Em Eat Cake (Composer), Porgy and Bess (Composer), All Points West (Composer), Who Cares? (Composer), Do It Again! (Composer), Mr. Words (Composer), My One and Only (Composer), Gertrude Stein and a Companion (Additional Music), Reaching for the Moon (Composer), Crazy for You (Composer), The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm (Composer/Lyricist), Jolson & Co. (Composer/Lyricist), American Rhapsody: A New Musical Revue (Composer), George Gershwin Alone (Composer/Lyricist), Elaine Stritch At Liberty (Composer), Stairway to Paradise (Sketches/Composer/Lyricist), The Gershwins' An American In Paris (Composer), Come Fly Away (Composer), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Composer), A Night With Janis Joplin (Composer).
George Gershwin has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. Some of his notable nominations include Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards for "The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess" and the American Express Award for Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards for "Crazy For You". These nominations highlight the recognition and acclaim that Gershwin's musical works have received in the industry.
George Gershwin has won the American Express Award for Best New Musical (Olivier Awards) for "Crazy For You".
