Charles Strouse, the Tony Award-winning composer best known for the Broadway musicals Annie and Bye Bye Birdie, has died aged 96.

A gifted melodist with a knack for capturing the American spirit in song, Strouse helped define the sound of mid-20th-century musical theatre with work that was by turns buoyant, tender and fiercely memorable.

Born in New York City in 1928, Strouse studied composition under Aaron Copland and Nadia Boulanger, developing a classical grounding that would underpin his work in musical theatre. His breakthrough came in 1960 with Bye Bye Birdie, a satirical take on rock’n’roll and teenage culture co-written with lyricist Lee Adams. The show’s exuberant score won Strouse his first Tony Award and cemented his place on Broadway.

Strouse and Adams collaborated on several subsequent shows, including All American (1962) and Applause (1970), the latter earning Strouse his second Tony. But it was Annie (1977), with lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan, that became his most iconic work.

Adapted from the Depression-era comic strip Little Orphan Annie, the musical struck a chord with audiences thanks to its hopeful message...