Jacob Avshalomov was born on March 28, 1919, in Tsingtao, China.[1] His father was Aaron Avshalomov, the Siberian-born composer known for "oriental musical materials cast in western forms and media"; his mother was from San Francisco.[1] Jacob received musical instruction from his father starting at a young age.[1] At eight years old Avshalomov visited Portland from China with his parents and were guests of Jacques Gershkovitch for several months in 1927.[2] Aaron Avshalomov had become friends with Gershkovitch in the Orient (Jacob was three years old when the two met).[2][3] However, because they did not hold permanent visas the family returned to China.[2]
Avshalomov graduated from British and American schools before age fifteen, then worked as a factory supervisor in Tientsin, Shanghai and Beijing over a span of four years.[1] Avshalomov was also active in sports and won the diving championship of North China.[1] In 1937, Avshalomov assisted his father in Shanghai with ballet production and working on scores. He then enlisted with a British volunteer corps following Japan's invasion of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and eventually returned to the United States with his mother in December 1937.[1] Avshalomov spent a year in Los Angeles studying with Ernst Toch, followed by two years in Portland, Oregon to attend Reed College (1939–1941).[4][5] During this time he studied with Gershkovitch and participated in the Portland Junior Symphony.[5] He then spent two years at the Eastman School of Music to study composition and orchestration with Bernard Rogers.[5] During World War II he lived in London, where he conducted a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St John Passion.[1]
CareerEdit
Following the war, Avshalomov received the Ditson Fellowship and joined faculty of the music department at Columbia University, where he taught from 1946 to 1954.[5] Here he conducted American premier performances of Anton Bruckner's Mass No. 1 and Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time.[5] He served on the National Humanities Council from 1968 to 1974 and the Music Planning Section of the National Arts Endowment from 1977 to 1979.[6]
Portland Youth PhilharmonicEdit
Following Gershkovitch's death in 1953, guest conductors lead the Portland Junior Symphony (now known as the Portland Youth Philharmonic) for its thirtieth season—one was Avshalomov.[4] Avshalomov was appointed the orchestra's second conductor in 1954. During his forty-year tenure Avshalomov encouraged international tours and produced several recordings, some of which included pieces commissioned by the orchestra, making the Portland Junior Symphony the first known recording orchestra in the Pacific Northwest.[4] He led the ensemble on their first international tour in 1970.[citation needed] The orchestra became known as the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) in 1978.[4][7] The year 1984 marked the orchestra's sixtieth anniversary as well as Avshalomov's thirtieth year as conductor.[8] Avshalomov retired in 1995 after an estimated 640 concerts and 10,000 auditions.[4]
CompositionsEdit
Avshalomov has composed several symphonic pieces. The cantata "How Long Oh Lord" was recorded by Composers Recordings, Inc. (CRI) in the late 1960s, along with two of his father's works. Other pieces by Avshalomov recorded by CRI are "Phases of the Great Land" (CRI 194), "Inscriptions at the City of Brass" (CRI 117), "The Taking of T'ung Kuan" (CRI 117), and "Prophesy" (CRI 191). Avshalomov also wrote "The Oregon", a symphony commemorating the centennial anniversary of the U.S. state of Oregon, in 1959. One main characteristic of Avshalomov's compositions are the radical change of time-signatures from measure to measure (bar to bar).[citation needed] Other commissioned works include "The Thirteen Clocks", "Glorious th'Assembled Fires", and "Symphony of Songs".[6]
RecognitionsEdit
Granite star along Portland's Main Street Walk of Stars recognizing Jacob Avshalomov
Avshalomov received the Ditson Fellowship in Composition following World War II and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1951. In 1953 he was recognized by the New York Music Critics Circle for his choral work Tom o' Bedlam.[5] Other awards include a Bloch Award, Naumburg Recording Award, Ditson Conductor's Award in 1965, Governor's Arts Award, and American Symphony Orchestra League Award. In 1994 Avshalomov was named a Portland First Citizen, an honor established by the Portland Realty Board (now the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors) in 1928 to recognize "civic achievements and business leadership within the community".[6][9] In 2011 Avshalomov was one of three honorees to be recognized by the Portland Center for the Performing Arts Foundation for outstanding contributions to Portland's art community. Awards recipients had a granite star placed on Main Street by Antoinette Hatfield Hall and were presented with a bronze folly bollard.[6]
DeathEdit
He died in his sleep at his Portland, Oregon home in 2013.[10]
RecordingsEdit
Avshalomov: Fabled Cities (1998, Albany), contains re-issues of "City Upon a Hill" (1965), "Inscriptions at the City of Brass" (1957), Symphony: The Oregon and "Up at Timberline" (1987)[11][12]
^ abcdef"NWCR664: Portland Youth Philharmonic" (PDF). New World Records. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
^ abcd"PCPA Foundation to honor three community leaders at Walk of Stars, June 8". Portland, Oregon: Metro. May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
^Cullivan, Rob (August 7, 2007). "East County musicians travel with youth orchestra to Taiwan and Korea". The Outlook. Gresham, Oregon: Pamplin Media Group. pp. 1–2. Retrieved April 20, 2013.[permanent dead link]
^"Portland Youth Philharmonic 60 years old". The Bulletin. No. 224. Bend, Oregon. August 22, 1984. p. 5. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
^. Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
^"Jacob Avshalomov, longtime director of Portland Youth Philharmonic, dies |OregonLive.com". oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
^"Avshalomov: Fabled Cities". Allmusic. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
^Stabler, David (December 20, 1998). "The sounds of Oregon: 10 good — and serious — CDs from '98". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
Works cited
Avshalomov, Jacob (1959). Music Is Where You Make It: A Panoramic View of the Portland Junior Symphony. Portland, Oregon: The Portland Junior Symphony Association. LCC ML200.8.P82 J8. Note: Profile for Jacob Avshalomov (pp. 49–52) by David Campbell.
jacob, avshalomov, march, 1919, april, 2013, composer, conductor, bornmarch, 1919tsingtao, chinadiedapril, 2013, 2013, aged, portland, oregon, united, statesnationalityamericanoccupation, composer, conductor, musicianspousedoris, contents, early, life, educati. Jacob Avshalomov March 28 1919 April 25 2013 was a composer and conductor Jacob AvshalomovBornMarch 28 1919Tsingtao ChinaDiedApril 25 2013 2013 04 25 aged 94 Portland Oregon United StatesNationalityAmericanOccupation s Composer conductor musicianSpouseDoris Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 Portland Youth Philharmonic 3 Compositions 4 Recognitions 5 Death 6 Recordings 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly life and education Edit nbsp The Eastman School of MusicJacob Avshalomov was born on March 28 1919 in Tsingtao China 1 His father was Aaron Avshalomov the Siberian born composer known for oriental musical materials cast in western forms and media his mother was from San Francisco 1 Jacob received musical instruction from his father starting at a young age 1 At eight years old Avshalomov visited Portland from China with his parents and were guests of Jacques Gershkovitch for several months in 1927 2 Aaron Avshalomov had become friends with Gershkovitch in the Orient Jacob was three years old when the two met 2 3 However because they did not hold permanent visas the family returned to China 2 Avshalomov graduated from British and American schools before age fifteen then worked as a factory supervisor in Tientsin Shanghai and Beijing over a span of four years 1 Avshalomov was also active in sports and won the diving championship of North China 1 In 1937 Avshalomov assisted his father in Shanghai with ballet production and working on scores He then enlisted with a British volunteer corps following Japan s invasion of China during the Second Sino Japanese War and eventually returned to the United States with his mother in December 1937 1 Avshalomov spent a year in Los Angeles studying with Ernst Toch followed by two years in Portland Oregon to attend Reed College 1939 1941 4 5 During this time he studied with Gershkovitch and participated in the Portland Junior Symphony 5 He then spent two years at the Eastman School of Music to study composition and orchestration with Bernard Rogers 5 During World War II he lived in London where he conducted a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach s St John Passion 1 Career EditFollowing the war Avshalomov received the Ditson Fellowship and joined faculty of the music department at Columbia University where he taught from 1946 to 1954 5 Here he conducted American premier performances of Anton Bruckner s Mass No 1 and Michael Tippett s A Child of Our Time 5 He served on the National Humanities Council from 1968 to 1974 and the Music Planning Section of the National Arts Endowment from 1977 to 1979 6 Portland Youth Philharmonic Edit Following Gershkovitch s death in 1953 guest conductors lead the Portland Junior Symphony now known as the Portland Youth Philharmonic for its thirtieth season one was Avshalomov 4 Avshalomov was appointed the orchestra s second conductor in 1954 During his forty year tenure Avshalomov encouraged international tours and produced several recordings some of which included pieces commissioned by the orchestra making the Portland Junior Symphony the first known recording orchestra in the Pacific Northwest 4 He led the ensemble on their first international tour in 1970 citation needed The orchestra became known as the Portland Youth Philharmonic PYP in 1978 4 7 The year 1984 marked the orchestra s sixtieth anniversary as well as Avshalomov s thirtieth year as conductor 8 Avshalomov retired in 1995 after an estimated 640 concerts and 10 000 auditions 4 Compositions EditAvshalomov has composed several symphonic pieces The cantata How Long Oh Lord was recorded by Composers Recordings Inc CRI in the late 1960s along with two of his father s works Other pieces by Avshalomov recorded by CRI are Phases of the Great Land CRI 194 Inscriptions at the City of Brass CRI 117 The Taking of T ung Kuan CRI 117 and Prophesy CRI 191 Avshalomov also wrote The Oregon a symphony commemorating the centennial anniversary of the U S state of Oregon in 1959 One main characteristic of Avshalomov s compositions are the radical change of time signatures from measure to measure bar to bar citation needed Other commissioned works include The Thirteen Clocks Glorious th Assembled Fires and Symphony of Songs 6 Recognitions Edit nbsp Granite star along Portland s Main Street Walk of Stars recognizing Jacob AvshalomovAvshalomov received the Ditson Fellowship in Composition following World War II and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1951 In 1953 he was recognized by the New York Music Critics Circle for his choral work Tom o Bedlam 5 Other awards include a Bloch Award Naumburg Recording Award Ditson Conductor s Award in 1965 Governor s Arts Award and American Symphony Orchestra League Award In 1994 Avshalomov was named a Portland First Citizen an honor established by the Portland Realty Board now the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors in 1928 to recognize civic achievements and business leadership within the community 6 9 In 2011 Avshalomov was one of three honorees to be recognized by the Portland Center for the Performing Arts Foundation for outstanding contributions to Portland s art community Awards recipients had a granite star placed on Main Street by Antoinette Hatfield Hall and were presented with a bronze folly bollard 6 Death EditHe died in his sleep at his Portland Oregon home in 2013 10 Recordings EditAvshalomov Fabled Cities 1998 Albany contains re issues of City Upon a Hill 1965 Inscriptions at the City of Brass 1957 Symphony The Oregon and Up at Timberline 1987 11 12 See also Edit nbsp Classical music portal nbsp Judaism portalList of Eastman School of Music people List of Jewish American composers List of Reed College people Music education for young children Music education in the United StatesReferences Edit a b c d e f g Avshalomov 1959 p 51 Note Profile by David Campbell a b c Avshalomov 1959 p 49 Note Profile by David Campbell Avshalomov 1959 p 47 a b c d e McQuillen James Portland Youth Philharmonic The Oregon Encyclopedia Retrieved November 19 2010 a b c d e f NWCR664 Portland Youth Philharmonic PDF New World Records Retrieved September 30 2011 a b c d PCPA Foundation to honor three community leaders at Walk of Stars June 8 Portland Oregon Metro May 20 2011 Retrieved September 29 2011 Cullivan Rob August 7 2007 East County musicians travel with youth orchestra to Taiwan and Korea The Outlook Gresham Oregon Pamplin Media Group pp 1 2 Retrieved April 20 2013 permanent dead link Portland Youth Philharmonic 60 years old The Bulletin No 224 Bend Oregon August 22 1984 p 5 Retrieved September 21 2011 2011 Portland First Citizen Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors Archived from the original on July 27 2011 Retrieved September 30 2011 Jacob Avshalomov longtime director of Portland Youth Philharmonic dies OregonLive com oregonlive com Retrieved 2014 01 25 Avshalomov Fabled Cities Allmusic Retrieved November 28 2010 Stabler David December 20 1998 The sounds of Oregon 10 good and serious CDs from 98 The Oregonian Portland Oregon Advance Publications ISSN 8750 1317 Works citedAvshalomov Jacob 1959 Music Is Where You Make It A Panoramic View of the Portland Junior Symphony Portland Oregon The Portland Junior Symphony Association LCC ML200 8 P82 J8 Note Profile for Jacob Avshalomov pp 49 52 by David Campbell External links EditOfficial website Shotola Marilyn Jacob Avshalomov 1919 2013 The Oregon Encyclopedia Jacob Avshalomov at AllMusic Jacob Avshalomov at the American Composers Alliance Jacob Avshalomov scores 1928 2001 New York Public Library Interview with Jacob Avshalomov March 3 1986 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jacob Avshalomov amp oldid 1147292403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
