Murray Adaskin

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Murray Adaskin OC (born March 28, 1906 in Toronto , Ontario , † May 6, 2002 in Victoria , British Columbia ) was a Canadian composer, violinist, conductor and music teacher.

Murray Adaskin (1929)

Life

Harry and John Adaskin's brother began his musical education in his hometown with Luigi von Kunits . He then studied with Kathleen Parlow in New York and Marcel Chailley in Paris. In 1931 he married the singer Frances James .

From 1923 to 1936 he was a musician in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra , from 1938 to 1952 a member of the Royal York Hotel Trio . From 1944 he studied composition with John Weinzweig . In 1949, 1950 and 1953 he attended summer courses with Darius Milhaud in Aspen, and between 1949 and 1952 he studied with Charles Jones .

From 1952 to 1966 Adaskin was director of the music department at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. From 1957 to 1960 he directed the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra , which commissioned a composition every year during that time. From 1966 to 1972 he was composer-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan. He was also a member of the Canada Council from 1966 to 1969 .

In 1973 Adaskin moved to Victoria, where he devoted himself to composition until his death and still taught violin and composition at the university until the 1990s. On his 75th birthday, the University of Saskatchewan honored him with a gala concert, and in 1988 the University of Victoria held an Adaskin year in which it presented works by Adaskin and his students in a series of concerts.

Works

  • The Shepherd for high voice and piano, 1934
  • Sonata for violin and piano, 1946
  • Suite for orchestra, 1948
  • Epitaph for voice and piano, 1948
  • Canzona and Rondo for violin and piano, 1949
  • 3 Marches for orchestra, 1950, 1953, 1981
  • Ballet Symphony , 1951
  • Sonatina Baroque for violin, 1952
  • Coronation Overture for orchestra, 1953
  • A Hymn of Thanks for choir, 1953
  • Serenade Concertante for orchestra, 1954
  • Concerto for violin and orchestra, 1955
  • 3 divertimentos for different instruments, 1956, 1964, 1965
  • Introduction and Rondo for piano quartet, 1957
  • Algonquin Symphony , 1958
  • Saskatchewan Legend for orchestra, 1959
  • Concerto for bassoon and orchestra, 1960
  • Capriccio for piano and orchestra, 1961
  • Rondino for Nine Instruments for wind quintet and string quartet, 1961
  • Cassenti Concertante for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin and piano, 1963
  • Quiet Song for violin and piano, 1963
  • String Quartet No. 1 , 1963
  • Rondino for orchestra, 1964
  • Grant, Warden of the Plains , opera (Libretto: Mary-Elizabeth Bayer ), 1967
  • The Prairie Lily for voice and piano, 1967
  • Of Man and the Universe for voice, violin and piano, 1967
  • Diversion for Orchestra , 1969
  • Qalala and Nilaula of the North for orchestra, 1969
  • Fanfare for orchestra, 1970
  • There Is My People Sleeping for orchestra, 1970
  • Night Is No Longer Summer Soft , 1970
  • Divertimento No. 4 for two trumpets and orchestra, 1970
  • Trio for flute, cello and piano, 1970
  • Two Pieces for viola da gamba, 1972
  • Essay for Strings , 1972
  • Two Portraits for violin and piano, 1973
  • Quintet for Woodwinds , 1974
  • Nootka ritual for orchestra, 1974
  • In Praise of Canadian Painting in the Thirties for orchestra, 1975
  • Adagio for Cello and Orchestra , 1975
  • Three Tunes for Strings , 1976
  • Music for Brass Quintet , 1977
  • Quintet for bassoon and string quartet, 1977
  • Nocturne for clarinet and piano, 1978
  • Divertimento No. 5 for guitar and chamber orchestra, 1980
  • Sonata for cello and piano, 1981
  • Dance Concertante , for orchestra, 1983
  • The Traveling Musicians , Opera, 1983
  • Divertimento No. 6 for solo percussion and orchestra, 1985
  • Divertimento No. 7 for two cellos and piano, 1985
  • T'filat shalom for violin and orchestra, 1986
  • Divertimento No. 8 , 1986
  • In Memoriam Frances James Adaskin for chamber orchestra, 1988
  • 3 vocalizes for clarinet (1988), viola (1990) and flute (1990) solo
  • Concerto for Orchestra , 1990
  • String Quartet No. 2 , 1994
  • Divertimento No. 9 for string trio, 1998
  • String Quartet No. 3 , 1998

Honors

  • Eli Bornstein: Art and altruism. Aesthetics and ethics; dedicated to Murray Adaskin, composer, violinist, teacher, lover of arts, anad friend of The Structurist; 1906-2002. Commemorative publication Murray Adaskin. Structurist, Saskatoon 2002.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Adaskin, Murray
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Toronto
DATE OF DEATH May 6, 2002
Place of death Victoria (British Columbia)