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León Zuckert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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]

Early life and education

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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

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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 to 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

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  • "Quintette de la Luna de Mar"[11]
  • "The Quetico" – symphonic suite film soundtrack[12]
  • Along Gypsy Trails (CD)
  • "Fantasia on Ukrainian Themes"
  • "In the Gleam of Northern Lights" (oratorio)

See also

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  • Zuckert

References

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  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, 17 May 1975 – Page 113 via Newspaper Archives
  4. ^ Slavs in Canada. Inter-university Committee on Canadian Slavs. 1966. p. 93.
  5. ^ a b c "León Zuckert". The Canadian Encyclopedia, Nancy Mcgregor, 7 February 2006
  6. ^ a b c d e Michael Schulman."Leon Zuckert:An old-world composer inspired by travel". Canadian Composer, February 1978
  7. ^ "Along Gypsy Trails". The Georgetown Herald. 14 August 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, 31 May 1974 – Page 6. via Newspaper Archives
  10. ^ Rick Kardonne. "Tevye's Hodel features Lebane". Canadian Jewish News, 6 May 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, 10 February 1961 – Page 10 via Newspaper Archives
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