Scott Joplin

American composer and pianist Scott Joplin (186 – 1917) achieved fame for his unique ragtime compositions, and was dubbed the “King of Ragtime.” During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, the “Maple Leaf Rag”, became ragtime’s first and most influential hit, and has been recognized as the archetypal rag. Scott Joplin was born into an African-American family in eastern Texas, and developed his musical knowledge with the help of local teachers. During the late 1880s he travelled around the American South as an itinerant musician. His composition in 1899 of the “Maple Leaf Rag” brought him fame, and had a profound influence on subsequent writers of ragtime. It also brought the composer a steady income. During his lifetime, Joplin did not reach this level of success again and frequently had financial problems, which contributed to the loss of his first opera, A Guest of Honor. He continued to write ragtime compositions, and moved to New York in 1907. Joplin attempted to go beyond the limitations of the musical form, which made him famous, without much success. His second opera, Treemonisha, was not received well at its partially staged performance in 1911. He died in 1917. Joplin’s music was rediscovered and returned to popularity in the early 1970s with the release of a million-selling album of Joplin’s rags recorded by Joshua Rifkin.