Harold Farberman

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Harold Farberman (b. November 2, 1929) is an American conductor, composer, and percussionist.

Farberman studied percussion at Juilliard and composition at the New England Conservatory and at Tanglewood with Aaron Copland. In 1951, he joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as the youngest player ever to become a full-time member of the orchestra.

Farberman's conducting positions include principal guest conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1963, and music director and conductor of the Colorado Springs Orchestra from 1967-1970, and the Oakland Symphony Orchestra from 1971 to 1979. He has championed the work of Charles Ives, having recorded more of his works than any other conductor including all four of his symphonies. He has also recorded the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler and Michael Haydn with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, respectively.

Farberman founded the Conductors Guild in 1976, and is founder and director of the Conductor's Institute, a summer conducting program initiated at the Hartt School and now located at Bard College. Marin Alsop, a graduate of this program, is one of his most notable students. Farberman is also the author of The Art of Conducting Technique.

Farberman's compositions include three operas, many works for orchestra and chamber ensembles, an Academy Award–winning documentary film score to The Great American Cowboy, and music for dance companies.

Contents

[edit] Orchestras conducted by Farberman

Listed alphabetically

[edit] Selected compositions

  • Evolution (1954) - scored for over one hundred percussion instruments and has been recorded four times, once by Leopold Stokowski.
  • Greek Scene (1957) - a trio for mezzo soprano, piano, and percussion chosen to represent the United States in an International Composer's Symposium held in Paris.
  • Cello Concerto (2000) - premiered by the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.

[edit] Notable students

[edit] External links