Michael Rosenzweig (composer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Rosenzweig, born 1951 in Oranjezicht (now City Bowl
), a district of Cape Town
, is a South African composer, conductor and jazz musician.
at New England Conservatory of Music
and on Columbia University
’s doctoral programme with Chou Wen-chung
, Jack Beeson
, and Patricia Carpenter (Theorist Carpenter was Arnold Schoenberg
’s assistant at UCLA for the last 12 years of his life). He also studied theory with Patricia Carpenter and George Perle
.
He studied choral conducting with Fritz Weisse of the Berliner Konzert-chor, where he was the assistant and the Musical Director of the Youth choir, whose Philharmonie debut he conducted. He also studied orchestral conducting with Lawrence Leonard
and with Emanuel Hurwitz
, whom he saw regularly for analysis and coaching for several years until his death in November 2006.
In the UK he has conducted the ECO, the City of London Sinfonia
featuring Gervase de Peyer
as soloist, the London Strings (at St James’s Piccadilly) with Yonty Solomon
, and Buckingham and District Music Society as well as performances of contemporary works by several composers.
In Central and Eastern Europe he has conducted the Moravian Philharmonic, the Slovak State Philharmonic, Sudety Philharmonic in Wałbrzych, Poland, the State Philharmonic of Iaşi and Vidin
State Philharmonic among others. He has also conducted the Royal Oman
Symphony Orchestra. Included have been performances, premieres and recordings of a wide range of contemporary music.
He conducted the European premiere of Gervase de Peyer’s new realization of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and has also worked with Neil Black as soloist. Michael Rosenzweig is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Vidin State Philharmonic, in Vidin, Bulgaria.
(DAAD) fellowship for music in 1990.
Works have been commissioned by the BBC, the London Sinfonietta, the Divertimenti String Ensemble, Nina Beilina.
Rosenzweig's String Quartet No. 2 (1989) was commissioned by the BBC
and first performed and broadcast by the Arditti Quartet
.
City Bowl
The City Bowl is a part of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Signal Hill, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak....
), a district of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, is a South African composer, conductor and jazz musician.
Education
Studied composition with Donald MartinoDonald Martino
Donald Martino was a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer.Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Martino studied composition with Ernst Bacon, Roger Sessions, Milton Babbitt, and Luigi Dallapiccola...
at New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
and on Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
’s doctoral programme with Chou Wen-chung
Chou Wen-chung
Chou Wen-chung , Shandong, China) is a Chinese American composer of contemporary classical music. He emigrated in 1946 to the United States where he lives.-Life:...
, Jack Beeson
Jack Beeson
Jack Beeson was an American composer. He was known particularly for his operas, the best known of which are Lizzie Borden, Hello Out There! and The Sweet Bye and Bye.-Biography:...
, and Patricia Carpenter (Theorist Carpenter was Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
’s assistant at UCLA for the last 12 years of his life). He also studied theory with Patricia Carpenter and George Perle
George Perle
George Perle was a composer and music theorist. He was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Perle was an alumnus of DePaul University...
.
He studied choral conducting with Fritz Weisse of the Berliner Konzert-chor, where he was the assistant and the Musical Director of the Youth choir, whose Philharmonie debut he conducted. He also studied orchestral conducting with Lawrence Leonard
Lawrence Leonard
Lawrence Leonard was a British conductor, cellist, composer, teacher and writer.Leonard received his musical education at the Royal Academy of Music and the École Normale de Musique de Paris...
and with Emanuel Hurwitz
Emanuel Hurwitz
Emanuel Hurwitz CBE was a British violinist. He was born in London with parents of Russian-Jewish ancestry....
, whom he saw regularly for analysis and coaching for several years until his death in November 2006.
Conducting
While assistant at the Berliner Konzertchor, he conducted the Blacher Ensemble, the new music ensemble from the Berlin Hochschule der Kunste in their international venue debut, as well as other orchestras and ensembles in major venues and festivals, performing both standard repertoire and contemporary music, including several premieres.In the UK he has conducted the ECO, the City of London Sinfonia
City of London Sinfonia
The City of London Sinfonia is an English chamber orchestra based in London. In London, the CLS performs regularly at Cadogan Hall and St Paul's Cathedral. It is also the resident orchestra at Opera Holland Park. The CLS has annual residencies in four towns in Southern England: Ipswich, King's...
featuring Gervase de Peyer
Gervase de Peyer
Gervase Alan de Peyer is an English clarinetist and conductor.-Professional career:Gervase de Peyer was born in London and attended Bedales School. He was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he studied clarinet with Frederick Thurston and piano with Arthur Alexander...
as soloist, the London Strings (at St James’s Piccadilly) with Yonty Solomon
Yonty Solomon
Jonathan " "Sir" Yonty" Solomon was a South African pianist who was soloist throughout the world with many of the most important symphony orchestras....
, and Buckingham and District Music Society as well as performances of contemporary works by several composers.
In Central and Eastern Europe he has conducted the Moravian Philharmonic, the Slovak State Philharmonic, Sudety Philharmonic in Wałbrzych, Poland, the State Philharmonic of Iaşi and Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
State Philharmonic among others. He has also conducted the Royal Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
Symphony Orchestra. Included have been performances, premieres and recordings of a wide range of contemporary music.
He conducted the European premiere of Gervase de Peyer’s new realization of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and has also worked with Neil Black as soloist. Michael Rosenzweig is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Vidin State Philharmonic, in Vidin, Bulgaria.
Composition
His awards for composition include the Greater London Arts Council Young Composer's Award and the Gaudeamus Foundation. He held the Artists-in-Berlin Programme of the German Academic Exchange ServiceGerman Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
(DAAD) fellowship for music in 1990.
Works have been commissioned by the BBC, the London Sinfonietta, the Divertimenti String Ensemble, Nina Beilina.
Rosenzweig's String Quartet No. 2 (1989) was commissioned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and first performed and broadcast by the Arditti Quartet
Arditti Quartet
The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
.
Commissioned works
- Chamber Orchestra
- Sinfonietta 1
- Sinfonietta 2
- String Orchestra
- Elegy - for 13 solo strings
- Concerto for String Orchestra
- Fugue '97
- Chamber Ensemble
- String Octet
- Quartet
- Piano Quartet
- String Quartet 2
- Trio
- Trio for Oboe, Oboe d'Amore and Cor Anglais - GLA Young Composer Award
- Piano Trio - GLA Young Composer Award
- Duo
- Duo for Clarinet and Piano
- Duo for Violin and Piano
- Song Cycle for High Voice and Piano
- Solo
- Solo for Flute
- Solo for Bass Clarinet
- Solo for Multipercussion
- Solo for Vibraphone
- Solo for Soprano Saxophone
Other works
- Orchestra
- Symphony in One Movement - Vaughan Williams Trust Competition & Gaudeamus Award
- Choir
- Chorale - SATB
- Quartet
- String Quartet 1 - U Mass Bay Harbor Competition, GLA Young Composer Award
- Solo'
- Solo for Bass Clarinet