Mendi Rodan

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Mendi Rodan , born as Mendi Rosenblum , (born April 17, 1929 in Iași , Romania ; † May 9, 2009 in Jerusalem ) was an Israeli violinist and conductor of Romanian origin.

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Mendi Rodan began playing the violin at the age of five and became principal violinist of the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. In 1941 his father was murdered during the Holocaust . Rodan studied violin and conducting at the Music Academy in Bucharest and in 1953 became chief conductor of the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1960 he emigrated to Israel with his wife Yehudit, whom he married in 1953, and their two children.

From 1963 to 1972 he was chief conductor and music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra , during which time he founded the Jerusalem Chamber Orchestra . In the course of his career he has conducted the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra . Rodan was, among other things, permanent guest conductor with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (1972-1976), music director of the Israel Sinfonietta (1977-1991), permanent conductor and music director of the Orchester National de Belgique (1983-1989), music director of the Chamber Orchestra of the Education Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (1985–1989) and permanent conductor with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1993–1997).

From 1999 to 2002 he worked as a professor of conducting and as musical director or conductor with several of the local philharmonic orchestras at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in Rochester (New York) . He caused a worldwide sensation when he played a work by Richard Wagner for the first time in Israel in October 2000 . The concert sparked sharp protests from Holocaust survivors in Israel.

In 2006 he was awarded the Israel Prize .

Rodan died of cancer at the age of 80.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.thejc.com/social/obituaries/obituary-mendi-rodan
  2. ↑ a b c d e Mendi Rodan died , report at NZZ Online from May 10, 2009 (last accessed: May 11, 2009).
  3. ↑ a b See the biography of Mendi Rodan at Answers.com (see web links; English).
personal data
SURNAME Rodan, Mendi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rosenblum, Mendi (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Israeli violinist and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Iași , Romania
DATE OF DEATH May 9, 2009
Place of death Jerusalem