This resource describes how William Grant Still (1895-1978 CE) started out playing the violin and then began teaching himself to play other string instruments as well as the oboe, clarinet, and saxophone. His most famous work is...

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809 CE) joined the choir at the Cathedral of St. Stephen at age eight. Use this resource to learn about how he became a composer, and about his works. Listen to the third movement of Symphony #97 using RealAudio...

Aaron Copland (1900-1990 CE) was one of the first composers to put jazzy music into symphonic music, Copland was also one of the greatest American composers. Read more about him and his work. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to...

This bio is relatively short but has many good details, plus a link to reviews of his Symphony No. 4.

A short biography of the American ragtime pianist, Scott Joplin.

Use this resource to learn about the percussion family of the orchestra. The triangle is part of this group of instruments. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the triangle on its own and with the orchestra.

Have you ever wondered what those big bowl shaped drums were? They are timpani. Use this resource to learn more about them and the percussion family of the orchestra. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the timpani play...

Read more about the saxophone, and the characteristics of the woodwind family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the saxophone play with the orchestra.

Read about the woodwind family and how it is divided. Learn about the piccolo and how it is played. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the piccolo on its own and with the orchestra.

Learn about the oboe and how it is played. Read more about the woodwind family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the oboe on its own or with the orchestra.

Read about the flute, how it produces sound, and how it's made. Learn about the woodwind family and the differences in the divisions in the three branches of this family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the flute alone, and...

Use this resource to learn about the clarinet, and the characteristics of the woodwind family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the clarinet alone and with the orchestra.

The chimes are the tall tube looking things in the orchestra. Read more about percussion instruments, the chimes in particular. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the chimes on their own and with the orchestra.

Castanets are a percussion instruments. Read more about them at this resource. Use this resource to learn more about the percussion family of the orchestra. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear castanets play with the orchestra.

Use this resource to learn about the bass clarinet, and read about the woodwind family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the bass clarinet on its own and with the orchestra.

A brief overview of composer George Gershwin, accompanied with audio samples of his music.

Tchaikovsky (1840-1893 CE) went to boarding school at the age of eight and studied law. He finished and obtained a position with the Ministry of Justice when he was 19. How did he go from there to becoming a famous composer? Use this...

Use this resource to find out what this British composer's cat had to do with some of his most famous music. Learn about his life, likes, and works. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear "Borage" from "Three Brass Cats."

A description of the viola accompanied by sound files that let you hear what the viola sounds like.

Read about how the viola fits into the string family of musical instruments. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to samples of the viola solo and with the orchestra. There are also pictures of the viola. Does it look like...

Read about the brass family, and the tuba in particular. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the tuba by itself and with the orchestra.

The trumpet has the highest pitch in the brass family. Read more about the trumpet and about the brass family of instruments in general when using this resource. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the trumpet by itself...

Did you know that the trombone has about nine feet of tubing in it? Read more about trombones and the rest of the brass family of the orchestra at this resouce.

Use this resource to learn about the percussion family of instruments, especially the snare drum. Find out how it helps the orchestra make music. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the snare drum by itself and with the...