Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Classical Music, Sunday 29 November 2015, 9pm

Catherine Bott examines the life and music of Aaron Copland.

The uniquely American composer Aaron Copland died 25 years ago this week and tonight Catherine Bott delves into his life and work.

She'll be playing some of his greatest hits - including the wild west ballet Rodeo and his touching Clarinet Concerto.

But there's also one of his first pieces to evoke the landscape of the American West, his Prairie Journal, composed for a radio broadcast, an excerpt from his opera The Tender Land and his latin-fuelled El Salon Mexico.

It was at the age of 15, after attending a concert by the Polish pianist and erstwhile Prime Minister Paderewski, that Copland decided to become a composer. Catherine also has some Paderewski tonight.