Adler, Larry

orig. Lawrence Cecil Adler

(born Feb. 10, 1914, Baltimore, Md., U.S.—died Aug. 7, 2001, London, Eng.) U.S. harmonica player. Though he was initially unable to read music, he learned classical compositions by ear and became the first person to perform concert music on the harmonica. His musicality attracted many composers to write especially for him, including Darius Milhaud and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Accused of communist sympathies and blacklisted in the early 1950s, he was unable to find work in the U.S. and took up residence in England.

Find more information on Adler, Larry. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Adler, Larry.