Appalachian Spring is a composition by
Aaron Copland that premiered in 1944 and has achieved widespread and enduring popularity as an orchestral
suite. The ballet, scored for a thirteen-member
chamber orchestra, was created upon commission of choreographer and dancer
Martha Graham with funds from the Coolidge Foundation. It premiered on Monday, 30 October 1944 at the
Library of Congress in Washington DC, with Martha Graham dancing the lead role. The set was designed by the Japanese American sculptor
Isamu Noguchi. Copland was awarded the 1945
Pulitzer Prize for Music for his achievement.