Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934) was born in England in 1874. He was a composer, arranger and teacher. He composed across a range of genres, his most popular work was the orchestral suite "The Planets". He was influenced by many musical styles such as Indian music and English folksong, and subsequently had a distinctive compositional style. He had originally planned to become a pianist, but a medical condition in his right arm prevented him from doing so. Holst was unable to support himself through composing and thus added to his income by playing the trombone professionally. He later became a teacher - a great one, according to his colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams.