Grainger, Percy

Grainger, Percy (Aldridge) (b. George Percy Grainger) (1882–1961) composer, pianist; born in Melbourne, Australia. A child prodigy on piano, he studied in Australia and Germany; after 1900 he was a famed traveling virtuoso based in London. Making a sensational American debut in 1915 with his "signature" work, the piano concerto by his friend Edvard Grieg, he remained in the U.S.A. for most of the rest of his life. Most of his compositions are marked by his interest in traditional folk music, yet he had an experimental streak and was among the first to compose for electronic instruments.