Ferde Grofe was an American composer born in New York City, 1892. His parents were very musical and taught ‘Ferdie’ to play violin and piano. After his father’s death in 1899, his mother took him to Germany to study composition, piano, and viola. Grofe learned several music instruments throughout his life, but his favorite was piano.
He worked as an arranger as well as a composer. His most famous arrangement is of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. It was Grofe’s arrangement that brought Gershwin’s piece to the fame it carries today.
He also wrote for American films. His most famous composition is Grand Canyon Suite (1931). Grofe died in California in 1972.
