León Zuckert

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León Zuckert (4 May 1904 – 29 May 1992) [1] was a Canadian composer, [2] conductor, arranger, violinist, violist and radio pioneer of Ukrainian descent. He was married to the poet Ella Bobrow, with whom he collaborated on many songs. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Zuckert was born in Poltava, Ukraine into a Jewish family. From 1916 to 1918, Zuckert studied the violin under Boris Brodsky at the Imperial Music Society School in Poltava. [5] During the Russian Revolution, his father was arrested and died in prison; the family moved to Poland. [6]

Career

As a young man in Poland, Zuckert worked in a lumberyard, and then as a violist, playing first in cafes and later in a military orchestra. [6] He moved to Argentina, where he lived for six years, playing music for movie theatres. [7] as well as in a symphony orchestra. He immigrated to Canada in 1929, [5] joining family in Toronto, where he played violin in a radio orchestra for a short time. [6]

Zuckert moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he played in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra [6] and in the 1930s hosted a radio show of violin and piano music, "To a Wild Rose", for the CBC (then known as the CRC, or Canadian Radio Commission). [5] He organized a 16-piece ensemble, Los Pamperos, which he conducted on the show, arranging much of the music himself.

Zuckert later toured with a number of orchestras, stage companies and dance bands in Canada and the United States, and played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1951 to 1956. [6] From 1963-1965 and 1967–1969, he was the assistant conductor and principal violinist of the Halifax Symphony Orchestra. [8]

In 1974 he was commissioned by the CBC to compose "Fantasia of Ukrainian Themes", which was premiered as part of the Winnipeg Centennial Festival. [9] He was also commissioned to create an orchestra arrangement of Tevye's Hodel, to be played by an ensemble from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. [10]

After moving about for much of his life, Zuckert retired to Toronto, where he died 29 May 1992.

Selected works

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Canadian Composer. Vol. 4. Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. 1993. p. 26.
  2. ↑ John T. Saywell (1965). Canadian Annual Review. University of Toronto Press. p. 514.
  3. ↑ "The Cultured Mosaic". Winnipeg Free Press , May 17, 1975 - Page 113 via Newspaper Archives
  4. ↑ Slavs in Canada. Inter-university Committee on Canadian Slavs. 1966. p. 93.
  5. 1 2 3 "León Zuckert". The Canadian Encyclopedia , Nancy Mcgregor, February 7, 2006
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Michael Schulman."Leon Zuckert:An old-world composer inspired by travel". Canadian Composer , February 1978
  7. ↑ "Along Gypsy Trails". The Georgetown Herald . August 14, 1940.
  8. ↑ Slonimsky, Nicolas (1978). "Zuchert, Leon". Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (6th ed.). New York: Schirmer Books. p. 1952. ISBN   0-02-870240-9.
  9. ↑ "A Rewarding CBC Concert". Winnipeg Free Press, May 31, 1974 - Page 6. via Newspaper Archives
  10. ↑ Rick Kardonne. "Tevye's Hodel features Lebane". Canadian Jewish News , May 6, 1977, page 12
  11. ↑ Opera Canada. Vol. 12–14. Canadian Opera Association. 1971. p. 5.
  12. ↑ "Wisconsin Program on Preserving Wilds Slated Superior". Eau Claire Leader , February 10, 1961 - Page 10 via Newspaper Archives
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