Often referred to as, "The Dean of American Composers", Aaron Copland, of Lithuanian Jewish origin, was a first generation American. He was born in Brooklyn, the youngest of five siblings. They all grew up living above the family's convenience store. As their mother, Sarah, played the piano, she encouraged her children to study music.

Aaron, an avid reader, attended theatres and operas along with taking composition and piano lessons from several good teachers throughout his school days. As a young adult, he went to France for summer school at the Fontainebleau School of Music. While there, he heard about the great musical pedagogue Nadia Boulanger. Without a doubt, she turned out to be Aaron's most inspiring teacher. The result was that he returned Stateside, in his mid-twenties, with all the musical skills he needed. "The rest," as they say, "is history."

Jazz influenced much of Copland's "populist" compositions so it should come as no surprise that Benny Goodman, the famous bandleader, commissioned this clarinet concerto. At the time of its composition, Copland was working in Argentina hence, the work contains strong elements of Latin American provenance. As a concerto, the form is highly unusual: the two movements are joined together by a cadenza for solo clarinet. The slow lyrical first movement is written in sonata form. For the most part, the second movement is a rondo full of South American jazz themes. The work ends with an elaborate C major coda.

David Shifrin is performing today with South Florida Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso.

Program note by Ian A. Fraser.