Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist (born 9 Apriljul / April 21 1889greg in Rostov-on- Don, .. † 22 February 1985 in Reno, Nevada) was an American composer, music teacher and conductor of Russian origin, and one of the major concert violinists of the 20th century.
Life
Efrem Zimbalist was born into a Jewish family. His father, Aron Zimbalist, was conductor of the Ukrainian opera orchestra. With five years he attended the Imperial Music School. At the age of nine, he was first violinist in the orchestra of his father. With a scholarship, he joined with twelve years in the St. Petersburg Conservatory and studied with Leopold Auer. Here he won the gold medal for his violin playing and the Anton Rubinstein Prize, which was doped with 1200 rubles. Already during his studies he was a member of the group, played chamber music in the house of the composer Nicolai Rimsky -Korsakoff.
After graduating Zimbalist made his debut on 28 October 1907 in Berlin. His lecture program included: the Chaconne by Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Legend of Henryk Wieniawski, Serenade by Riccardo Drigo Harlequin, Suite of Christian Sinding and the Concerto by Alexander Glazunov. So that his future was assured. He gave concerts in Vienna and London as well as in Eastern Europe and Russia. On October 27, 1911 Zimbalist debuted in the U.S. with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Max Fiedler. It was followed by appearances at Carnegie Hall. In 1912 he played the Concerto by Glazunov under Leopold Stokowski, who made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra.
On June 15, 1914 Efrem Zimbalist married the famous American soprano Alma Gluck, with whom he jointly went on tour for a while. They had two children: a daughter, Mary Virginia, and a son, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who was a famous actor, as well as his granddaughter Stephanie Zimbalist. Alma Gluck died on October 27, 1938.
In the summer of 1940, Mary Louise Curtis Bok asked him to Philadelphia to come to her Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia again " to help on their feet ." He accepted and taught not only the violinist, but also took over the administration of the school. On July 6, 1943, he married the 13 years old widow Mary Louise Curtis Bok, founder of the music school, whose director he was then from 1941 to 1968. Among his more than 70 students were known later: Jascha Brodsky, Rafael Druian, Daniel Heifetz, Aaron Rosand, Eudice Shapiro, Oscar Shumsky, Joseph Silverstein, Felix Slatkin, Shmuel Ashkenazi and Toshiya Eto.
1949 ended his career as a violinist Efrem Zimbalist, however, had a comeback in 1952 for the world premiere of a violin concerto by Gian Carlo Menotti, which was dedicated to him. In 1955, he retired permanently. 1962 and 1966 he was in the jury of the Tchaikovsky Violin Competition.
His own compositions include the Violin Concerto American Rhapsody and the tone poem Daphne and Chloe, as well as the fantasies Carmen and The Golden Cockerel by the operas of Bizet and Rimsky -Korsakov.