Grainger, (George) Percy Aldridge 1882-1961
Australian-US composer and pianist

Born in Brighton, Victoria, as a child he toured as a concert pianist under the management of his mother, whose maiden name Aldridge he adopted. He studied under Pabst and Ferruccio Busoni, then in 1914 settled in the USA, after collecting folk tunes in the UK and Europe. He took US nationality and served in the US army as a bandsman. A friend and admirer of Edvard Grieg, he followed his example in championing the revival of English and Scandinavian folk music in such works as Molly on the Shore (1914) and Shepherd's Hey (1911), which make skilful use of traditional dance themes. He also experimented with 'free form' music and mechanical music machines, and wrote The Warriors: Music to an Imaginary Ballet. He often returned to Australia, and in 1935 founded the Grainger Museum in Melbourne.