skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    On Air Now

    Alexander Armstrong 1pm - 4pm

    Alexander Armstrong

    Now Playing

    Palladio (1) Karl Jenkins Download 'Palladio (1)' on iTunes

    Palladio (1) artwork
    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    Listen
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Learning
    • Quizzes
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Discover Music

    • Discover Music Home
    • Periods & Genres
    • Occasions
    • Mood
    • Instruments
    • Music Theory
    • Learning
    • Humour
    • Women in Music
    • More Classic FM

    The best American classical music

    Discover America's star-spangled musical history, with 20 of the best pieces of classical music from across the pond. From the most influential to the most patriotic, here's our ultimate selection.

    1. American classical music

      1. America - Bernstein

      Taken from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, this famous song sees Puerto Rican immigrants singing the praises of the USA. It pairs vibrant Hispanic music with typically brilliant lyrics by Sondheim: "I like the island Manhattan, smoke on your pipe and put that in!"

    2. American flags

      2. Stars and Stripes Forever - Sousa

      If you haven't heard of American composer John Philip Sousa, you've almost certainly heard his music. By an act of Congress, this patriotic American tune is now the official National March of the US.

    3. Aaron Copland

      3. Fanfare for the Common Man - Copland

      With its booming timpani and a heart-stopping brass fanfare, this 1943 piece by Copland is instantly recognisable. And with such an impressive opening, it's no wonder Copland reused the music as the theme in the last movement of his Symphony No. 3.

    4. John Adams

      4. Short Ride in a Fast Machine - Adams

      Not to be confused with the second president of the United States who shares his name, John Adams is one of the 20th century's best-known composers. His music captures moments in American history, from Nixon's 1972 visit to China to a choral piece commemorating the victims of the September 11 attacks, but his most famous work is the relentless four-minute masterpiece, Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

    5. An american in paris film poster

      5. An American in Paris - Gershwin

      The clue's in the title with this jaunty composition. Even the tiniest details are inspired by the sights and sounds of the French capital, seen through American eyes - to make sure it really does sound like Paris, Gershwin brought a selection of French taxi horns over to the States for the New York premiere!

    6. Charles Ives' house to be demolished?

      6. Symphony No. 4 - Ives

      He's now regarded of one of America's finest musical exports, but Ives' music was largely ignored during his lifetime. Listen to his music and you'll find hints of American folk songs, ballads, marches and hymns, as well as a few jazzy moments - but his far-reaching Symphony No. 4 is one of his defining works.

    7. Lincoln film stills

      7. Lincoln - Williams

      It's a perfect fit: an all-American storyline, with a soundtrack composed by the the USA's most iconic film composer, John Williams. The music has its fair share of emotion and drama, as well as a storming barn dance thrown in for good measure.

    8. John Cage

      8. 4'33" - Cage

      If you thought 4'33" was just three movements of silence, think again. John Cage, one of America's most influential 20th century composers, considered it his most important work. He was playing with the idea of what music 'is' - and as far as 4'33" is concerned, that includes any type of sound, whether it's played by an instrument or not.

    9. ENO Perfect American Glass

      9. The Perfect American - Glass

      He's known as one the four great American 'Minimalists' - that is, composers who reduced classical music to its bare bones of pitch and rhythm, and gradually rebuilt it to become more and more complex. His trance-like music and eerie vocal lines can be found in a number of American-themed operas, including The Civil Wars, setting text by Robert Wilson, inspired by the conflict in America between 1861 and 1865, and more recently, The Perfect American, documenting the final years of Walt Disney's life.

    10. Porgy and Bess

      10. Porgy and Bess - Gershwin

      Opera fans stateside weren't so keen on Gershwin's innovative 'American folk opera' when it was first performed in 1935. It featured an entire cast of African-American singers - a daring decision at the time. Nowadays, the songs are some of Gershwin's most famous pieces, including Summertime, and It Ain't Necessarily So.

    11. American classical music

      11. Liberty Bell March - Sousa

      Composed almost 80 years before it was used as a signature tune for Monty Python's Flying Circus (think exploding heads and large crushing feet appearing from the sky), this cheery American march is used at surprisingly formal occasions! Written for Sousa's unfinished operetta, The Devil's Deputy, the Liberty Bell march is now a staple at presidential inaugurations: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all heard the piece, performed by the United States Marine Corps Band.

    12. American classical music

      12. Ashokan Farewell - Ungar

      After appearing on the American TV series The Civil War, Ungar's wistful fiddle melody shot to international attention. It might sound like a traditional piece of folk music, but it was actually composed in 1982 - since then it's served as a 'goodnight waltz' at the Annual Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps.

    13. American classical music

      13. Appalachian Spring - Copland

      Copland's popular ballet - and later, orchestral suite - tells the tale of 19th century American pioneers building a new farmhouse. It's packed full of all-American tunes, including a Shaker song, Simple Gifts, which Copland borrowed almost note-for-note and incorporated into the music. You might recognise the tune - it's the basis of the popular hymn Lord of the Dance.

    14. American classical music

      14. Different Trains - Reich

      During World War II, Steve Reich travelled between New York and Los Angeles by train. He was inspired to write Different Trains in 1989, after realising that had he been in Europe at the time, as a Jew, he might have been travelling in Holocaust trains. The piece uses recorded speech taken from interviews with people in the United States and Europe about the years before, during, and after the war.

    15. American classical music

      15. Adagio for Strings - Barber

      If you're looking for pathos and passion, you can't go far wrong with Barber's powerful Adagio. Premiered in 1938, the piece now occupies a space as America's ultimate classical tear-jerker; it's often performed at sad state occasions, including the announcements of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy's death.

    16. american parade

      16. American Salute - Gould

      Often heard on Independence Day, this military band classic was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and conductor Morton Gould in 1942. It's the perfect lively accompaniment to the 4th of July celebrations.

    17. cowboys at sunset

      17. Rodeo - Copland

      It doesn't get more 'down on the ranch' than this. Folky violins, an all-American trumpet tune, and a toe-tapping piano tune. It's even based on an American folk song called Bonyparte, and incorporates the music almost completely into the piece.

    18. rhapsody in blue film gershwin

      18. Rhapsody in Blue - Gershwin

      Ragtime meets Rachmaninov in this impressive jazz-classical fusion by Gershwin, which premiered in 1924. It's daring, it's exciting, it's virtuosic - and it changed the face of jazz in a world of classical composers who thought themselves too 'serious' for the genre.

    19. American classical music

      19. A Symphony of Three Orchestras - Carter

      Rather than a Symphony FOR three orchestras, Carter was keen to label this as a symphony OF three orchestras, so, three different ensembles sounding at the same time. It's based on the poetry of another influential American, Harold Hard Crane.

    20. terry riley

      20. In C - Riley

      Not a 'Symphony in C' or a 'Concerto in C'. No, this is just 'In C', plain and simple. The music starts (unsurprisingly!) with the note C, played over and over again in a steady rhythm, until other notes are gradually introduced. Not only does it sound pretty impressive for a piece with only a few notes in it, but it broke the mould as one of the first Minimalist pieces ever composed.

    Latest features

    See more Latest features

    History and theory of the ‘song for 2021’: the sea shanty

    Musically, what is a sea shanty? The history behind the songs flooding TikTok

    21 hours ago

    Newly discovered Mozart piano piece performed to mark composer’s 265th birthday

    Unheard Mozart piano piece performed to mark composer’s 265th birthday

    22 hours ago

    Mozart

    How Classic FM’s partner orchestras are inspiring us all with their educational offerings

    How Classic FM’s partner orchestras are inspiring us all with their educational offerings

    1 day ago

    Music Education

    Professional tap dancer and his pint-sized partner perform an energised routine

    This wonderful little and large tap-dancing duo is guaranteed to make you smile

    1 day ago

    Videos

    Bernie Sanders classical music memes

    Classical music has been meme-ing inauguration Bernie Sanders and it’s perfect

    1 day ago

    More From ClassicFM

    Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla to quit as music director of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

    Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla to quit as music director of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

    Basketball legend Kobe Bryant asked for leadership advice from film maestro John Williams

    Kobe Bryant asked for leadership advice from John Williams, and this was the composer’s beautiful answer

    Edexcel admits it was “wrong” to cut Courtney Pine’s work from syllabus

    Leading music exam board to reinstate its only Black composer after public outcry

    What are the lyrics to the traditional hymn ‘Amazing Grace’?

    What are the lyrics to ‘Amazing Grace’, and what’s the story behind the traditional hymn?

    Yo-Yo Ma plays poignant ‘Amazing Grace’ at Biden inauguration concert

    Yo-Yo Ma brings world to tears with poignant ‘Amazing Grace’ at inauguration concert

    Yo-Yo Ma

    Lady Gaga’s national anthem inauguration performance has been transcribed by an A+ music geek

    Lady Gaga’s national anthem inauguration performance has been transcribed by an A+ music geek

    Browse by

    See more Browse by

    Periods & genres

    Periods & genres

    Occasions

    Occasions

    Moods

    Moods

    Instruments

    Instruments

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • LBC News
    • handel
    • debussy
    • music theory
    • instruments
    • brahms
    • vivaldi
    • bach
    • tchaikovsky
    • chopin
    • andrea bocelli
    • beethoven
    • mozart
    • classical music tear jerkers
    • best classical music
    • Classic FM Live
    • classic fm requests
    • john suchet
    • piano world record
    • best pianists
    • harry potter music
    • classic fm app
    • saturday night at the movies
    • star wars soundtrack
    • best sopranos
    • best cellists
    • composer or pasta
    • music for studying
    • best violinists
    • sad music
    • composer birthdays
    • relaxing music

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2021
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager