Paul Zukofsky

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Paul Zukofsky (born October 22, 1943 in Brooklyn ; † June 6, 2017 ) was an American violinist , conductor and music educator .

Career as a violinist

Zukofsky, son of the objectivist poet Louis Zukofsky , caused a sensation around 1950 as a child prodigy and studied with Ivan Galamian . In 1969 he made his recording of the 24 Caprices op. 1 by Niccolò Paganini, which was widely acclaimed in America (praised by Galamian as the best rendition of this extremely difficult piece). In 1972 the six sonatas and partitas for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach were recorded . Zukofsky otherwise concentrated mainly on contemporary music and played numerous world premieres of new works. John Cage wrote his Freeman Etudes for him .

In the United States, Zukofsky has occasionally been compared to the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould , whom he resembled in the unconventional character of his personality. In Europe, however, it remained virtually unknown. His extraordinary ability to quickly learn even the most difficult works and his rigorously analytical understanding of music predestined him to interpret new music. However, his unwillingness to compromise resulted in a tense relationship with the main forces in the music business and barred his access to a wider audience. As early as the late 1970s, Zukofsky largely ceased his activity as a violinist.

Success as a conductor

Zukofsky then moved to Iceland , where he founded a youth orchestra, with which he realized sensational performances of the most demanding works (including symphonies by Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler ). Disagreements with the orchestra's board of directors caused him to retire in 1993. From 1978 to 1987, Zukofsky also directed the Colonial Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey . As a guest conductor in various orchestras, he performed mainly with works from the 20th century.

Further work

From 1992 to 1996 he was director of the Schönberg Institute in Los Angeles . Zukofsky composed and published essays in musical journals. He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ US violinist Paul Zukofsky has died aged 73 , accessed June 14, 2017
personal data
SURNAME Zukofsky, Paul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American violinist, conductor and music educator
DATE OF BIRTH October 22, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Brooklyn
DATE OF DEATH June 6, 2017