William Bolcom, Pulitzer Prize winning American composer
Advisory Board Member, George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition

“Finally there is a serious effort to put together a critical edition of George and Ira Gershwins’ work.  In the last few decades we’ve seen a growing number of worthwhile studies of American popular composers (see the recent Irving Berlin publications for example).  Others, like Jerome Kern and Alec Wilder, have written occasional chamber works alongside their song catalogues.  However George Gershwin, unlike his contemporaries in classic popular song, differs from the herd in that his non-Broadway work is major in substance, including one of the very greatest 20th century operas and several orchestral masterworks.  It is high time for the Gershwin edition — now that the world has come to appreciate George Gershwin’s genius — to be brought forward.”

 

Andrew Litton, Music Director Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Advisory Board Member, George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition

“This Critical Edition project is the greatest thing to happen to George Gershwin’s music since he wrote it!   I am delighted to lend a hand, after 40 years of Gershwin performing experience, to this incredible undertaking.  George’s music will finally be afforded the care it surely would have received had he not died so tragically young.  At last we can correct the hundreds of published mistakes, eradicate the questionable editorial license taken with those publications, and help to improve the quality of future performances.  Joining the critical editions of all the greatest composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Verdi, American’s most popular composer finally gets his due.”