Paul Zukofsky

Paul Zukofsky ( born October 22, 1943 in Brooklyn ) is an American violinist, conductor and music educator.

Career as a violinist

Zukofsky, son of the poet Louis Zukofsky objectivist, attracted around 1950 as a child prodigy stir and studied with Ivan Galamian. In 1969, his highly acclaimed in America gramophone recording of the 24 Caprices Op 1 by Niccolò Paganini (of Galamian as the best representation of this extremely difficult piece praised ). In 1972, the recording of the six sonatas and partitas for violin solo followed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Zukofsky otherwise focused primarily on contemporary music and has played numerous world premieres of new works. John Cage wrote his Freeman Etudes for him.

In the U.S., Zukofsky was occasionally compared with the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, whom he resembled in the originality of his personality. In Europe, however, remained virtually unknown. His exceptional ability to learn even the most difficult works quickly, and be rigorous analytical understanding of music predestined him for performers of new music. However, his intransigence had a strained relationship with the relevant powers of the music industry a result, blocking his access to a wider audience. As early towards the end of the 1970s Zukofsky his activities as a violinist largely a.

Successes as a conductor

Zukofsky moved then to Iceland, where he founded a youth orchestra, with whom he made sensational performances of the most demanding works (among symphonies of Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler ). Disagreement with the Foundation Board of the orchestra led him in 1993, however, here to retreat. From 1978 to 1987 headed Zukofsky also the Colonial Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey. As a guest conductor of various orchestras he has predominantly been on the works of the 20th century.

More creative

From 1992 to 1996 he was a director of the Schoenberg Institute in Los Angeles. Zukofsky wrote and published essays in musical journals.