Larry Adler

From Grokipedia

Larry Adler (February 10, 1914 – August 7, 2001) was an American-born harmonica virtuoso renowned for pioneering the instrument's use in classical music and concert performances, transforming it from a folk novelty to a vehicle for sophisticated repertoire. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Jewish immigrant parents Louis and Sadie Adler, he was largely self-taught on the harmonica and won the Maryland state championship at age thirteen, launching a professional career that began in vaudeville and radio before expanding to symphony orchestras worldwide, including the Sydney Symphony in 1939 and the New York Philharmonic. Adler's achievements included inspiring composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Darius Milhaud, and Joaquin Rodrigo to create works for the harmonica, as well as an uncredited Academy Award nomination for his theme to the 1953 film Genevieve, and later recordings with artists like Elton John and Sting on albums such as The Glory of Gershwin (1994). A lifelong left-winger who opposed racial segregation and performed USO tours for Allied troops during World War II, Adler faced accusations of communist sympathies in 1949 amid the U.S. Red Scare, including being named in publications like Red Channels; though he never testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and was not formally blacklisted, these pressures ended his American bookings and prompted his permanent relocation to Britain that year, where he sustained a successful career as a performer, composer, and journalist until his death.

In brief

Lawrence Cecil Adler (February 10, 1914 – August 6, 2001) was an American harmonica player and film composer. Known for playing major works, he played compositions by George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Benjamin. During his later career, he collaborated with Sting, Elton John and Kate Bush.