Matthew Krel
Encyclopedia
Matthew Krel was a Russia
n-Jewish conductor
who migrated to Australia
and in 1988 founded the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
, of which he was the chief conductor until his death. Like his Soviet
friend, the composer Dmitri Kabalevsky
, he was passionate about creating quality musical performance ensembles for young people. He was also profoundly influenced by Zoltán Kodály
's philosophy.
, Siberia
, to Zalman and Doba Krel, who were not musically trained. He studied in Moscow at the Gnessin State Musical College
, graduating with a Master in Music in piano accordion
and other keyboard instruments, and conducting. He conducted student and youth orchestras, worked at the Pushkin Drama Theatre, and toured internationally with Russian orchestras. He had a very close association with Dmitri Kabalevsky
. He left the Soviet Union for Israel
in the mid-1970s, and moved to Australia
in 1978, settling in Sydney
. His wife Faina, who had studied with him at the Gnessin College, played violin with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He taught music privately, worked as pianist in the evenings, started the Strathfield
Music Centre School, and was assistant conductor with the Sydney Youth Orchestra
.
In 1987 he approached the Special Broadcasting Service
(SBS) about creating an SBS orchestra of young people. In 1988 the management agreed, but it was up to Krel to make it work. Virtually no funds would be available to the non-profit orchestra, and neither state nor federal governments would support them financially. However SBS did provide the new organisation with free rehearsal space, storage space for instruments and use of a photocopier. The orchestra gave its first public performance at the Sydney Town Hall
in 1989.
Under Krel's baton, the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
performed the Australian premieres of Franz Liszt
's newly discovered Piano Concerto No.3
(with pianist Roman Rudnytsky), Respighi
's Belkis, Queen of Sheba, Elena Kats-Chernin
's Wild Swans
Suite, and other works.
He made his first return trip to his homeland in 1999, when he took the orchestra to Russia, one of their many international tours. Their playing was featured in the documentary The Russian Enigma, first broadcast on SBS in 2001. It was repeated on 7 June 2009 in tribute to Krel.
On 9 November 2008 he conducted the orchestra in only the sixth showing of the silent film The New Babylon
(1929) with Dmitri Shostakovich
's film score played by a live orchestra, and the first such presentation in Australia.
Matthew Krel died on 20 May 2009 of a rare form of encephalitis
. He was being treated for lymphoma
when he caught a virus previously unrecorded in Australia. The virus is not normally fatal, but in his case it proved to be. His funeral was held on 25 May at Temple Emanuel, Sydney, and it featured a piece for string quartet called Consolation in Memory of Matthew Krel, written for the occasion by his friend Elena Kats-Chernin. He was survived by his wife, daughter and granddaughter.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-Jewish conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
who migrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and in 1988 founded the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
The SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra located in Sydney, is one of the premier youth orchestras of Australia. It was founded in 1988 by the Russian-born conductor Matthew Krel, who died in 2009...
, of which he was the chief conductor until his death. Like his Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
friend, the composer Dmitri Kabalevsky
Dmitri Kabalevsky
Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was a Russian composer.He helped to set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works have been performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is probably...
, he was passionate about creating quality musical performance ensembles for young people. He was also profoundly influenced by Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
's philosophy.
Biography
Matthew Krel was born in KrasnoyarskKrasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, to Zalman and Doba Krel, who were not musically trained. He studied in Moscow at the Gnessin State Musical College
Gnessin State Musical College
The Gnessin State Musical College and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music is a prominent music school in Moscow, Russia...
, graduating with a Master in Music in piano accordion
Piano accordion
A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more similar to that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular...
and other keyboard instruments, and conducting. He conducted student and youth orchestras, worked at the Pushkin Drama Theatre, and toured internationally with Russian orchestras. He had a very close association with Dmitri Kabalevsky
Dmitri Kabalevsky
Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky was a Russian composer.He helped to set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works have been performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is probably...
. He left the Soviet Union for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the mid-1970s, and moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1978, settling in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. His wife Faina, who had studied with him at the Gnessin College, played violin with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He taught music privately, worked as pianist in the evenings, started the Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
Music Centre School, and was assistant conductor with the Sydney Youth Orchestra
Sydney Youth Orchestra
The Sydney Youth Orchestra , is one of Sydney's premier youth orchestras and is the flagship orchestra of the Sydney Youth Orchestras family. The SYO consists of around 100 skilled young musicians residing around Sydney....
.
In 1987 he approached the Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS) about creating an SBS orchestra of young people. In 1988 the management agreed, but it was up to Krel to make it work. Virtually no funds would be available to the non-profit orchestra, and neither state nor federal governments would support them financially. However SBS did provide the new organisation with free rehearsal space, storage space for instruments and use of a photocopier. The orchestra gave its first public performance at the Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
in 1989.
Under Krel's baton, the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra
The SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra located in Sydney, is one of the premier youth orchestras of Australia. It was founded in 1988 by the Russian-born conductor Matthew Krel, who died in 2009...
performed the Australian premieres of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
's newly discovered Piano Concerto No.3
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Liszt)
Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major Op. posth. , was possibly composed in 1839. It is said that this piece was composed before the first two concertos, but the date is inconclusive as there are claims it was not finished until 1847. Like his second piano concerto, it is a...
(with pianist Roman Rudnytsky), Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
's Belkis, Queen of Sheba, Elena Kats-Chernin
Elena Kats-Chernin
Elena Kats-Chernin is an Australian composer.Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent , and migrated to Australia in 1975.-Europe:...
's Wild Swans
Wild Swans (ballet)
Wild Swans is a ballet by Soviet-born Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.The story is based on The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen, and tells the tale of Eliza, a princess whose wicked-witch stepmother has changed Eliza's eleven brothers into swans...
Suite, and other works.
He made his first return trip to his homeland in 1999, when he took the orchestra to Russia, one of their many international tours. Their playing was featured in the documentary The Russian Enigma, first broadcast on SBS in 2001. It was repeated on 7 June 2009 in tribute to Krel.
On 9 November 2008 he conducted the orchestra in only the sixth showing of the silent film The New Babylon
The New Babylon
The New Babylon is a 1929 silent film written and directed by Grigori Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg...
(1929) with Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
's film score played by a live orchestra, and the first such presentation in Australia.
Matthew Krel died on 20 May 2009 of a rare form of encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
. He was being treated for lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
when he caught a virus previously unrecorded in Australia. The virus is not normally fatal, but in his case it proved to be. His funeral was held on 25 May at Temple Emanuel, Sydney, and it featured a piece for string quartet called Consolation in Memory of Matthew Krel, written for the occasion by his friend Elena Kats-Chernin. He was survived by his wife, daughter and granddaughter.