Aaron Copeland was born November 14, 1900 in Brooklyn, New York. He began writing songs at the age of eight and a half, writing music at the age of eleven, and by the age of fifteen, decided to become a composer. He received private piano, theory, harmony and composition before moving to Paris to further his studies. He returned to the United States three years ago and settled in New York, New York. From 1927 to 1930 and 1935 to 1938, he taught classes at The New School of Social Research in New York City. He also began his career as a composer during this time. His music was used for the ballets Rodeo, Jigsaw, Angels in the Architecture, and Missing, which were all performed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In the 1960s, he began to focus more on conducting, and many of his recorded works were with him as conductor. On September 14, 1964, Aaron Copland was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson, and in 1986 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. The following year, he received a Congressional Gold Medal. Aaron Copeland passed away December 2, 1990, in Sleepy Hollow, New York.