US composer, conductor, and pianist. He was one of the most energetic and versatile 20th-century US musicians. His works, which established a vogue for realistic, contemporary themes, include symphonies such as
The Age of Anxiety (1949), ballets such as
Fancy Free (1944), and scores for musicals, including
Wonderful Town (1953),
West Side Story (1957), and
Mass (1971) in memory of President J F Kennedy.
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