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George Gershwin, born Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz, September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned both popular and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), the songs Swanee (1919) and Fascinating Rhythm (1924), the jazz standard I Got Rhythm (1930), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935) which spawned the hit Summertime.Gershwin began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with Buddy DeSylva and his brother Ira Gershwin. His first popular hit was "Swanee". He wrote "Porgy and Bess" which was a classical opera set in the ghetto of New York. The entire cast was black. In a medium such as opera, this was untraditional and very controversial. It was initially a commercial failure but came to be considered one of the most important American operas of the twentieth century and an American cultural classic. Perhaps his most famous piece was "Rapsody in Blue". Rapsody is considered a major masterpiece of the 20th century in both classical and popular genres. Gershwin moved to Hollywood and composed numerous film scores until his death in 1937 from a malignant brain tumor. His compositions have been adapted for use in films and television, and several became jazz standards recorded and covered in many variations.