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Jacques Singer

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Jacques Singer
Born
Jakob Singer

(1910-05-09)May 9, 1910
DiedAugust 11, 1980(1980-08-11) (aged 70)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
EducationCurtis
Juilliard
Occupation(s)Violinist
Orchestra conductor
University music educator
Years active1925–1980
Employer(s)As violinistAs conductorAs educator
SpouseLeslie Wright
Children5 (1 deceased), including Marc Singer and Lori Singer

Jacques Singer (May 9, 1910 – August 11, 1980) was an American virtuoso violinist, symphony orchestra conductor, and music educator who flourished from about 1925 until a few months before his death in 1980.[1][2][3][4][5]

Career

[edit]

Education

[edit]

Jakob Singer was born in Przemyśl, Austria-Hungary (present-day Poland). He trained in the violin from an early age. He began to give concerts in Poland at age seven. In 1920, his family moved to the United States, settling in Jersey City.[4] Before making any sort of official American debut, Singer, as a teenager, had been playing recitals, in one case, at a Columbia University student social gathering at Earl Hall.[6]

In 1923, Singer became a scholarship violin student of Leopold Auer and his associate, Jacob Mestechkin (1880–1953).[i][ii] He made his American debut in New York the evening of February 11, 1925 at Town Hall performing (in solo) Bach's G-minor Fugue;[a] then with pianist Siegfried Schultze [fr], Paganini's D major concerto; then with Schultze and violinist Jacob Mestechkin (his teacher), Christian Sinding's Serenade for two violins and piano.[iii][iv]

Singer attended the Curtis Institute of Music on a scholarship in 1926[v] – in the third year after the institute was founded. While there, he studied with Carl Flesch. Curtis did not issue diplomas during its first ten years. Singer was in The Students' Orchestra for Curtis' 1926–1927 season. Leopold Stokowski was conductor.[7]

Singer began attending the Juilliard School in 1927, studying with Leopold Auer, Paul Kochanski, and Rubin Goldmark. Singer was also a violinist with the Juilliard Graduate School String Orchestra; Albert Stoessel was the conductor.[vi] Singer graduated from Juilliard in 1930.

Philadelphia Orchestra

[edit]

While at Juilliard, Singer became a violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age eighteen, their youngest member at the time. Leopold Stokowski took an interest in him and requested he conduct a contemporary piece at one of the rehearsals in 1935.[vii][viii][citation needed]

From watching Stokowski, he picked up several of the maestro's practices: conducting without baton (or score at times), making instructional comments to an audience, and stopping performances during disturbances. These he employed as conductor of the orchestra's youth orchestra in 1936.[8]

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra

[edit]

In 1936, Singer reorganized and began conducting the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. The orchestra had been founded in 1934 by Stokowski and, before Singer, was conducted by Sylvan Levin. The orchestra, at that time, was composed of musicians from ages 13 to 25.[ix]

Dallas Symphony: 1938–1942

[edit]

With a recommendation from Stokowski,[x] Singer made his conducting debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on February 1, 1938. He remained with that orchestra until 1942. Audience reaction to his style and personality was positive, the symphony budget doubled, and subscriptions tripled. While there, as reported by Time magazine, Singer became engaged in a feud with critic John ("Rosy") Rosenfield (born Max John Rosenfield Jr.; 1900–1966) of The Dallas Morning News.[9][10]

Rosenfield lauded Singer early on, but soon turned against him. [clarification needed] [why?] Singer became angry enough to print handbills and make speeches defending himself during concert intermissions.[9]

In spring 1951, Rosenfield published an article in the Southwest Review refuting that a feud transpired, or, rather, that Time's depiction of his criticism was, on balance, overblown, considering the critical acclaim on Singer that he published in The Dallas Morning News.[10]

World War II

[edit]

By the 1942–43 season, most of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's musicians were enlisted in the armed services.[xi]

During World War II Singer served as a private in the U.S. Army. He saw active service and received three battle stars for New Guinea, Bataan, and Corregidor. He conducted army band concerts, including the first concert given after the liberation of Corregidor.[xii][11]

New Orleans Summer Concerts: 1946

[edit]

In 1946, he conducted 28 concerts in eight weeks for the summer New Orleans Pops Concerts.[xiii]

Vancouver Symphony: 1947–1951

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A guest conducting engagement with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra led to his appointment as a conductor of that orchestra from 1947 to 1951. Singer, an advocate of contemporary music[xiv] by established and emerging composers has been chronicled favorably by musicologists for programing works, including a March 1948 performance by the VSO of Walter Piston's Prelude and Fugue for Orchestra, commissioned in 1934 by the League of Composers.[12]

The First Symposium of Canadian Contemporary Music was held in Vancouver March 12–15, 1950, at the Hotel Vancouver and the Denman Auditorium under the sponsorship of the Vancouver Symphony Society and the Community Arts Council of Vancouver. Singer was the initiator and music director of the Symposium. Alec Walton was chairman of the symposium. The event featured four days of performances of works by 33 Canadian composers, including:

The Symposium concluded with a panel discussion on Canadian music moderated by Alec Walton, a young banker and brother of composer William Walton. The panelist included Singer, Barbara Pentland, Eugène Lapierre, Dorothy Cadzow (1916–2001), Charles O'Neill, Zilba Georgieva (soprano), John Weinzweig, and Harry Adaskin.[13][xv][14][15][16] Attended by 1,500, the Symposium was the only venture of its kind on record for Canada and stood as the largest festival of Canadian music until Expo '67.[xvi]

There are differing explations for Singer's departure from the VSO – one being that he resigned from the symphony over a disagreement with the board over the $19,000 budget deficit (the board wanted a shortened season). Another explanation, offered by musicologist Elaine Keillor, was that the VSO fired Singer over circumstances directly linked to his promotion of contemporary music.[17]

Selected performances

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American composer David Diamond's Violin Concerto No. 2 was premiered on February 29, 1948, by Dorotha Powers, with Singer conducting the VSO. Difficulties with the estate of Arthur W. Percival, Dorotha Powers' husband, prevented further performances of the work for the next 43 years – until May 6, 1991 – when Gerard Schwarz arranged for its second performance, billed as a U.S. première. Percival commissioned the work for his wife through an arrangement with conductor Artur Rodzinski.

On November 27, 1948, Singer, conducting the VSO, premiered Wallingford Riegger's "Evocation."[18]

British Columbia Philharmonic: 1951

[edit]

Singer next founded a rival orchestra, the British Columbia Philharmonic.[8][19][20][21] At the first concert, Victoria Symphony Orchestra's conductor Hans Gruber called the orchestra unprepared and the chorus incompetent, referring to a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.[xvii]

Broadway: 1951–1952

[edit]

On Broadway, from December 19, 1951, through April 13, 1952, at the old Ziegfeld Theatre, Singer conducted a production of two Cleopatras, consisting of two plays presented with live music on alternating nights for 133 performances; the first for 67 performances – George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra; and the second for 66 performances – Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.[22][xviii][xix] Both plays starred Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. The music was composed by Herbert Menges. Igor Stravinsky, who reportedly attended on opening night, remarked that the pit orchestra sounded like a symphony.[xx][23]

Israel: 1952

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In 1952, Singer guest-conducted the Israel Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Radio Orchestra, and the Haifa Symphony (he). This included the first concert in Nazareth for the Haifa Symphony.[xxi][xxii]

Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: 1954–1962

[edit]

The Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra was established in 1945 by C. Burdette "Bud" Wolfe (1904–1974), who became its first conductor; Rabbi Sidney Abraham Wolf (1906–1983); and six others. Nine years after its founding, Singer became the conductor, conducting his first concert on October 18, 1954.[xxiii] As a marker for the scope of the CCSO, its 1956–1957 budget was $53,000.[xxiv] Singer served as conductor there from 1954 to 1962.[xviii]

Guest conducting

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On March 25, 1956, Singer guest-conducted the closing season concert of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, to critical acclaim.[xxv]

On January 26, 1958, Singer guest conducted the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra (ru) (Orquesta Filarmónica de la Habana), performing Paul Csonka's Violin Concerto No. 2. The violin soloist, Ángel Reyes, was, at the time, on the faculty at the Northwestern University School of Music. The orchestra, with Singer conducting, also performed Sibelius' Symphony No. 1 and works by Chausson.

Beginning around April 1958, Singer, as visiting conductor, led the Buenos Aires Philharmonic at the Colon Theater in Argentina. Reviews of a concert on June 22, 1958, by two Buenos Aires newspapers, Democracia and La Prensa lauded Singer's artistic accomplishments (after working two months with the orchestra). One critic referred to Singer as a miracle worker.[xxvi][xxvii][xxviii]

In 1961, Singer spent a month with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, culminating in 4 concerts, the first on April 29. The concerts received critical acclaim.[xxix]

Oregon Symphony: 1962–1972

[edit]

Singer debuted with the Oregon Symphony – then the Portland Symphony Orchestra – as a guest conductor in February 1962. Critics gave Singer favorable reviews. Martin Clark (born Martin Hooper Clark; 1920–1983) of the Oregon Journal, wrote, "Never has the orchestra been more responsive to a baton."[xxx][xxxi][xxxii]

Singer had signed on with Corpus Christi for an additional three years when he was hired as the permanent conductor and music director of the Oregon Symphony in April 1962.[xxxiii] He served there from 1962 to 1972. In his first season (1962–63), the orchestra performed 47 weeks of concerts – the second most by an orchestra of its size in the United States. Singer changed the scope of the orchestra. Specifically, under Singer, the musicians secured full-time contracts, the orchestra began a series of tours throughout the state of Oregon, and in 1967, the name changed from the Portland Symphany Orchestra to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra.[8]

Early in his tenure, Singer requested the concertmaster's violin to demonstrate a passage. Tubaist John Richards (né John Keil Richards; 1918–2011)[xviii] recounted the incident: "He tucked it under his chin and played four or five bars to show what he wanted. The rest of the string section sat openmouthed at how well he could play."[8]

Singer proved to be a temperamental conductor there as recounted by a violinist in The Oregonian. In rehearsal one day, Singer told the tubaist John Richards, "I can't hear you". On the next run-through, Richards blasted the note louder. "Still can't hear you", said Singer. The next time, Richards blew the tuba with both lungs. "I still can't hear you", said Singer. Richards was getting angry by now, but Singer chose this moment to tie a white handkerchief onto his baton with which he waved a flag of surrender.[xxxiv]

Singer, throughout his career, was an exponent of new music from established and emerging composers, which, in programming, he had to carefully balance, particularly with orchestras whose benefactors and patrons yearned for the classics. Singer, with the Oregon Symphony, performed many contemporary works that won favorable reviews, including a 1969 performance of Paul Creston's tone poem, Corinthians XIII, Op. 82, composed in 1963.[24]

It is difficult, even with the best verbalization of the composer's concept, to persuade a listener to recognize and respond to such expressed thoughts. But here is a case in which, without any extraneous suggestion, one has come upon an orchestral work of remarkable beauty. Corinthians XIII is melodically rich, rhythmically intensive, fluid and engrossing in its instrumental movement, fascinating in its counter themes and harmonic diversity.

— Hilmar Birger Grondahl, The Oregonian, 1969[xxxv]

Singer ultimately left the orchestra he had built, over a controversy that divided the organization. His attempt to bring in a new concertmaster led to a stand-off between the union and the artistic freedom of a conductor. The concertmaster that Singer wanted replaced – Hugh Winchester Ewart (1924–2017), who had held the position since 1950 – was, in 1973, pressured to surrender his chair, and he declined a demotion offer to become associate concertmaster. Soon thereafter, still in 1973, a new concertmaster, Michael Foxman, was appointed. The upshot of Singer's exit related to disagreements over artistic freedom and a rift with some of the musicians. Singer believed in artistry over rules and regulations. Quality, reportedly, ruled his artistic domain.[xxxvi][xxxvii][citation needed] His contract with the Oregon Symphony extended through April 1973, though he did not conduct during the 1972–73 season.[xxxviii]

Selected performances

[edit]
  1. March 18, 1963

    Robert Russell Bennett, composer
    Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra, premiere[25]

    Benno and Sylvia Rabinof, soloists

Guest conducting

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On September 24, 1962, before starting as Artistic Director of the Oregon Symphony, Singer made his London debut conducting the London Philharmonic at Royal Festival Hall, which included guest pianist Rudolf Firkušný. The performance won Singer and Firkušný eight curtain calls and a music critic from London's Daily Telegraph declared it a "personal triumph" for Singer.[xxxix]

On December 8, 1964, Singer flew from Portland to New York to conduct members of American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center's Philharmic Hall in a program that featured violinist Ruggiero Ricci performing his third of four concerts in a span of 30 days under a different conductor each time, showcasing great masterpieces of violin concerto repertoire – 15 concertos in all:[xl][xli]

  1. December 8, 1964, Jacques Singer, conductor

    Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1
    Stravinsky Violin Concerto

    Brahms Violin Concerto

Ricci, November 8 and 9, 1965, reunited with Singer in Portland, with the Oregon Symphony, and performed the Paganini, Stravinsky, and Brahms concertos.[xlii]

On April 17, 1970, Singer debuted with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall as guest conductor of a program that included a London debut of a piano concerto by Richard Yardumian, performed by Jeffrey Siegel.[xliii]

On January 11, 1972, Singer conducted the Honolulu Symphony featuring pianist John Browning. In early June 1972, Singer conducted the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, to critical acclaim, featuring works of Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff (Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Giuseppe La Licata at the piano).[xliv] The concert was broadcast countrywide.[xliv]

On June 18, 1972, and again on January 18 & 21, 1973, he guest-conducted the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. The June 18 concert included the Venezuela premier of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 12.[xlv]

Naumburg Summer Concerts in Central Park: 1974–1979

[edit]

Singer moved to New York. During that time, part-time and only seasonally, he conducted the Naumburg Orchestra for six summer seasons (1974–79) in Central Park at the Naumburg Band Shell, adjacent to Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street.

The Naumburg concert series, supported by the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, during Singer's years, corresponded to seasons 69 through 74 – Elkan Naumburg founded the series in 1905.[xlvi][26][xlvii] The Naumburg Band Shell, currently (as of 2024), has endured for one hundred and one years.

Programs

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  1. July 4, 1974, 7:30 p.m.

    Robert Sylvester, cello soloist
    Schubert
    Herbert

    Dvořák
  2. August 3, 1975, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
    Leslie N. Parnas, cello soloist
  3. August 1, 1976, 5 to 7:30 p.m., broadcast on WNYC-FM
    Yong Uck Kim (born 1947) violin soloist
    Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor
    Ben Franklin, Ben Franklin Suite, arranged by Alan Shulman
    Mozart, Symphony No. 41, the Jupiter Symphony
  4. July 31, 1977, 5 to 7:30 p.m., broadcast on WNYC-FM
    Hamao Fujiwara (born 1947), violin soloist
    Rossini, "Overture": La gazza ladra
    Gid Waldrop, "Rancher's whistling Song," From the Southwest (suite)
    Glazounov, Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82
    Saint-Saëns, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
    Dvorák, Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
    (Gideon William Waldrop Jr.; 1917–2000, was, among other things, Dean of the Juilliard School from 1963 to 1986 and President of the Manhattan School of Music from 1986 to 1989)
  5. July 30, 1978, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
    Leslie N. Parnas, cello soloist
    Bernstein, Overture, from Candide
    Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 in A Major
    Haydn, Cello Concerto in D Major
    Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34
  6. August 2, 1979, 8:00 p.m., broadcast on WNYC-FM
    Joseph Fuchs, violin soloist
    Beethoven, Symphony No. 5
    Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto
    Shostakovich, Festival Overture

Northern Illinois University: 1977–1980

[edit]

Singer became an artist in residence at Northern Illinois University, and from 1977 until shortly before his death in 1980, he conducted the Northern Illinois University Philharmonic. Singer's wife, Leslie, an accomplished pianist, left the Juilliard staff 1978 to take over the piano classes of Reynolds Whitney (1919–1978), a member of the NIU music faculty since 1948 who died January 2, 1978.[xlviii][xlix]

Guest conducting

[edit]

In 1974, Jacques Singer guest-conducted the Cosmopolitan Symphony, a New York City youth orchestra founded in 1963.[l] He enjoyed encouraging young artists, and delighted in guest conducting rehearsals or concerts of the New York conservatories, which included those of Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, as well as high school musicians, which included his daughter Lori.[8]

Death

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Jacques Singer died August 11, 1980, at his home in Manhattan, New York, aged 70.[27]

Family

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Jakob Singer was one of three children born to Meyer Singer (aka Mark Eli Singer; 1877–1922) and Rachella Bach (1881–1937). Meyer, Rachella (later known as "Rose" or "Rosie"), and their three children immigrated to the United States, sailing from Bremen on October 21, 1920, aboard the USS Susquehanna, and arriving in the Port of New York November 4, 1920. According to the ship's manifest, their nearest relative, Elias Singer (Jakob's grandfather), was residing in Jersey City. The manifest listed Meyer Singer's occupation as "chanter".[28]

Sometime after the death of Meyer Singer in 1922, Jakob, his mother, and his younger sister, Bronja, lived with Jacques' uncle and aunt, Solomon Singer (1892–1970) and Ruth Singer (1905–1968) along with Solomon and Ruth's son, Nobert Dave Singer (born 1929) and a cousin, Emanuel B. Bach (born around 1900). Their address in 1930 was 283 York Street, Jersey City, across the street from Van Vorst Park.[29]

Jacques Singer became a naturalized citizen sometime between 1920 and 1930 in Philadelphia.[29]

On January 28, 1946, in New York City Jacques married Leslie Wright (born 1924), a Texas piano virtuoso and pedagogue who, in the early 1940s, studied at the University of North Texas College of Music with Silvio Scionti and in the latter 1940s, in New York with Sidney Foster (né Sidney Earl Finkelstein; 1917–1977).

Foster was a friend of Jacques who, on October 29, 1939, married Jacques' sister, Bessie (née Bronja Singer; 1916–2016),[li] also a pianist and later longtime music professor at Indiana University Bloomington's Jacobs School of Music.[30] Sidney Foster and Bronja Singer both graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music on May 17, 1938, with Diplomas in Piano.[31][32]

Jacques and Leslie had four children: Claude, Marc, Lori, and Gregory. Lori and Gregory are twins. Marc and Lori are actors. Claude is a brand strategist in New York City. Gregory, a Juilliard graduate, is a prolific violinist, conductor, and pedagogue, is the music director of the Manhattan Symphonie, which he founded in 2005.

Jacques Singer's nephew once removed, Bryan, is a prolific film producer/director. He was adopted and raised by Nobert Dave Singer (born 1929) and Grace L. Sinden (née Weinstein; born 1933), who were married to each other between 1954 and 1977. Nobert's father, Solomon Singer (1892–1970) (Jacques' uncle), was a concert violinist, conductor, and violin teacher. Jacques and Leslie had a fifth child, a son, who died at birth in Dallas, April 1, 1950.[33]

Awards

[edit]
Cultural offices
Preceded by Music Director
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

1937–1942
Succeeded by
(performances suspended
during World War II)
Antal Doráti
Appointed 1945
Preceded by Music Director
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

1947–1951
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Frederick Vajda
Music Director
Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra

1954–1962
Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director
Oregon Symphony Orchestra

1962–1972
Succeeded by
Guest conductors
1972–1973 season
Lawrence Leighton Smith
Appointed April 1973
Academic offices
Preceded by
Larry Livingston
Director of Instrumental Activities
Conductor, NIU Symphony Orchestra
Northern Illinois University
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Conductor, Philharmonic Orchestra

1977–1980
Artist in Residence

(also Instructor of Violin)

Succeeded by
Carl Walter Roskott
Conductor, NIU Philharmonic
1980–1989

Discography and extant recordings

[edit]

Very few recordings of Singer exist. Some extant tapes, however, are archived in various music libraries of institutions where Singer conducted.

  1. Ruggiero Ricci; Lalo
    1. Fantaisie Norvégienne in A Major
      1. Allegretto non troppo
      2. Andante
      3. Allegro
      Orchestra of the Americas, Singer, conductor
    1. Concerto Russe in G Minor, Op. 29
      1. Prelude-Allegro (Andante)
      2. Chanto Russe (Lento)
      3. Intermezzo (Allegro non troppo)
      4. Introduction - Chanto Russe (Andante)
      Orchestra of the Americas, Singer, conductor
    1. Concerto in F Major, Op. 20
      1. Andante
      2. Andantino (Romance)
      3. Allegro con fuoco
      Orchestra of the Americas, Singer, conductor
    1. Guitare in B Minor, Op. 28

      Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra

      T Woytowicz, conductor

    Ruggiero Ricci, violin
    Édouard Lalo, composer
    One-Eleven, Ltd. (Hong Kong)
    EPR-95040 (catalog no.) (CD)
    (EPR = Essential Performance Reference)
    (released July 1, 1997)[34]

    OCLC 57036212
  1. Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra Jacques Singer, guest conductor

    February 8, 1972
    3 audiotape reels: analog

    1. Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 ("Eroica")
      1. Allegro con brio (E♭ major)
      2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai (C minor)
      3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace (E♭ major)
      4. Finale: Allegro molto (E♭ major)
    2. Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Ravel
      Pictures at an Exhibition
    OCLC 31318978

Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Bach Fuque cited in Singer's Town Hall concert was likely Bach's Fugue in G minor for violin and harpsichord, BWV 1026

General references: books

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General references: articles

[edit]

Books, magazines, journals, dissertations, and websites

[edit]
  1. ^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Macmillan; Schirmer
       7th ed, Slonimsky (ed.) (1984); OCLC 10574930
  2. ^ Biography Index, H.W. Wilson Co.; ISSN 0006-3053
       Vol. 1: Jan. 1946–Jul. 1949 (1949)
       Vol. 2: Aug. 1949–Aug. 1952 (1953)
       Vol. 4: Sep. 1955–Aug. 1958 (1960)
       Vol. 6: Sep. 1961–Aug. 1964 (1965)
       Vol. 12: Sep. 1979–Aug. 1982 (1983)
  3. ^ Who Was Who in America: 1967–1989 (Singer is in Vol. 7 of 10), Marquis Who's Who (1989); OCLC 768804327
       Note:  DOB given is 9 May 1917
  4. ^ a b Who's Who in America (Singer is in Vol. 2 of 2), Marquis Who's Who; ISSN 0083-9396
       38th ed., 1974–1975 (1974); OCLC 11885312
       39th ed., 1976–1977 (1976); OCLC 23953086
       40th ed., 1978–1979 (1978); OCLC 4199915
       41st ed., 1980–1981 (1980); OCLC 476716124
  5. ^ Who is Who in Music: A Complete Presentation of the Contemporary Musical Scene, With a Master Record Catalogue (1951 ed.), Lee Stern, Chicago: Lee Stern Press (1951), p. 382; OCLC 1355515, 6052459
  6. ^ "Student World – Columbia," J.H. Sun (ed.), The Chinese Students' Monthly, Vol. 19, No. 6, April 1924, p. 66; OCLC 295004885, 606321422, 976836126
  7. ^ Recital Programs: 1925–1926, Curtis Institute of Music (1926), pps. 164, 166, 200, 221
  8. ^ a b c d e "Making "Good Music: The Oregon Symphony and Music Director Jacques Singer, 1962–1971" by Genevieve J. Long, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 109, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 60–87 (accessible via JSTOR at www.jstor.org/stable/20615824; ISSN 0030-4727; OCLC 5542743613
  9. ^ a b "The Press: Mr. Culture", Time (magazine), December 4, 1950
  10. ^ a b "Moment of Fame; Or, Unaccustomed As I Am" by John Rosenfield, Southwest Review, Vol. 36, No. 2, Spring 1951, p. viii, x-xi, 141–144; ISSN 0038-4712 (accessible via JSTOR at www.jstor.org/stable/43463659)
  11. ^ "He's Setting a Dream to Music – Jacques Singer," by Bill Cunningham (of the Boston Herald), Reader's Digest, Vol. 48, No. 289, May 1946, p. 6; OCLC 11691566
    Bill Cunningham (né Elijah William Cunningham; 1896–1960) was a highly regarded newspaper columnist and sportswriter, first with the Dallas Morning News, then the Boston Post, then the Boston Herald
    Article promotion: "A great musician, he turned down the soft job the Army offered him – demanded the right to fight. What happened – on Corregidor – when he finally led a band ... and why Jacques Singer learned from plain GIs the greatest lesson of his career."
  12. ^ "Claire Reis: Advocate for Contemporary Music" (PhD dissertation), Penny Thomas, University of Florida (1991), p. 154; OCLC 851377092
  13. ^ "First Symposium of Canadian Contemporary Music," Canadian Encyclopedia (retrieved December 14, 2017)
  14. ^ "Symposium," by Harry Adaskin, Saturday Night, April 11, 1950; ISSN 0036-4975
  15. ^ "Music Symposium in Vancouver Thronged," Musical Courier, Vol. 141, April 15, 1950, p. 45 (p. 177)
  16. ^ "First Symposium of Canadian Music programme," Royal British Columbia Museum Archives, Ref. code: MS-2768A.5.8
  17. ^ Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity (Chapter 10, Note 14), by Elaine Keillor, McGill-Queens University Press (2006, 2014), p. 412; OCLC 940878647, 944211791, 426044520; ISBN 9780773530126; ISBN 9780773574762
  18. ^ The Music of Wallingford Riegger," by Richard F. Goldman, The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 1, January 1950, pps. 39–61 (retrieved December 18, 2017, via JSTOR at www.jstor.org/stable/739751)
  19. ^ The American Symphony Orchestra, by Henry Swoboda, New York: Basic Books, Inc. (1967)
    Original prepared by Swoboda for the Voice of America Forum Lectures (1967); OCLC 915853400
  20. ^ "Jacques Singer of Vancouver" by Fred Kaufman, Canadian Business, January 1950, p. 86
  21. ^ "To the President, A Challenge" by Jacques Singer, Saturday Night, August 15, 1950; ISSN 0036-4975
  22. ^ The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century (1st ed.), by Ben Brantley, St. Martin's Press (2001); OCLC 47521338
  23. ^ Antony and Cleopatra (theatre program), Ziegfeld Theatre, Laurence Olivier Productions, Ltd. (1951); OCLC 327655327
  24. ^ Paul Creston: A Bio-bibliography, by Monica J. Slomski, DMA (born 1954), Publisher: ABC-CLIO; Imprint: Greenwood Publishing Group (1994), pps. 37, 98, 118; OCLC 729021344, 939716437; ISBN 0313253366
    Note: Slomski, in 1987, published a DMA thesis on Paul Creston while at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City
  25. ^ "The Life and Work of Robert Russell Bennett" (PhD dissertation), by Roy Benton Hawkins, Texas Tech University (1989), pps. 143–144; OCLC 38049691, 797948068
  26. ^ "In and Around Town: Thursday, July 4", New York, Vol. 7, No. 26, July 1, 1974, p. 27
  27. ^ New York Times Biographical Service, Vol. 11, Nos. 1–12, Ann Arbor: Arno Press (1980); ISSN 0161-2433
       "Jacques Singer Dies, Led Orchestras in the West" New York Times, August 12, 1980.
  28. ^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892–1924" (database), FamilySearch, December 6, 2014
    Entry: "Jakob Singer", Arrival: November 3, 1920; Departure port: Bremen; Arrival port: Port of New York; Ship name: USS Susquehanna, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.)
  29. ^ a b "1930 US Census" (database with images), April 8, 1930, FamilySearch, Name: "Solomon Singer;" Location: "Jersey City," ED 42, Sheet 12B, Household No. 220, Line 55; Street address: 283 York Street, Jersey City, National Archives and Records Administration, Publication No. T626, Film No. 1351
    FHL microfilm (GS No.) 2341086, Digital Folder No. 004951939, Image No. 00159
    (GS = Genealogical Society of Utah)
    (registration/login for FamilySearch is required, but free)
  30. ^ An Intimate Portrait of Sidney Foster: Pianist ... Mentor, by Imelda Delgado, Hamilton Books (2013), pp. 74, 138; OCLC 795177888
  31. ^ "Fifth Commencement and Conferring of Degrees," Curtis Institute of Music, May 17, 1938, p. 5
    Sidney E. Finkelstein (Diploma in Piano)
    Bronja Singer (Diploma in Piano)
  32. ^ "Sidney Foster" (solo recital program notes), Distinguished Alumni Series, Curtis Institute of Music, November 13, 1974, p. 68
  33. ^ "Texas Deaths, 1890–1976" (database), FamilySearch, Name: "Singer" (male), DOB & DOD: April 1, 1950; citing Death, Dallas, Dallas, Texas
    FHL microfilm (GS No.) 2074336
    Digital Folder No. 005145448
    Image No. 01344
    Note: The FHL microfilm number was formerly known as a GS film number (GS = Genealogical Society of Utah)
    (registration/login for FamilySearch is required, but free)
  34. ^ "Ruggiero Ricci; Lalo" (record review), by Steven J. Haller, American Record Guide; Vol. 60, No. 5, September/October 1997, p. 158; ISSN 0003-0716

Newspapers

[edit]
  1. ^ "Local Artist in 'Y' Concert," Jersey Journal, March 9, 1925, p. 7
  2. ^ "May Day Celebration" (event advertisement by the Socialist Labor Party of America), The Weekly People, May 2, 1925, p. 6 (accessible via fultonhistory.com)
  3. ^ "Two Young Violinists Appear", New York Times, February 12, 1925, p. 17, col. 1 (accessible via fultonhistory.com)
  4. ^ "Boy Violinists Give Recital, by William James Henderson, New York Sun, February 12, 1925
    Dramatic and Musical Criticisms (Vol. 51 of 57), New York clippings: January 1, 1925 – January 22, 1926, compiled by Philip Hale (1854–1934), p. 44
    Digital source: Boston Public Library; OCLC 52493225
    (retrieved via Internet Archive)
  5. ^ "Boys Win Scholarships", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 30, 1925, p. 12, col. 6 (accessible via fultonhistory.com)
  6. ^ "Albert Stoessel to Head Juilliard Orchestra," Scarsdale Inquirer, Vol. 10, No. 4, December 14, 1928
  7. ^ "Variations" (correction appended) (book review), by William F. Buckley Jr., New York Times, December 3, 2006
    Review of the book, Johann Sebastian Bach: Life and Work, by Martin Geck (de), translated by John Hargraves, Harcourt (2006); OCLC 66463744
    (retrieved December 13, 2017)
  8. ^ "Opera and Concert Asides", New York Times, December 12, 1937, p. X10
  9. ^ "With Some Orchestras", New York Times, November 6, 1936, p. X7
  10. ^ "Jacques Singer's Role – Violinist Engaged to Conduct the Dallas Symphony", New York Times, December 8, 1937
  11. ^ "Symphony Matter Now Up To Music Lovers," by John Rosenfield, Dallas Morning News, September 23, 1942
  12. ^ "Singer Back in Dallas Returns to Civilian Life" by Marynell Sharp (1920–1950), Dallas Morning News, July 9, 1945, p. 6
  13. ^ "Musicians Earn Warm Approval – Closing of 'Pops' Concerts Praised", Times-Picayune, August 3, 1946, p. 7
  14. ^ "Promoting the New," by Jacques Singer, New York Times, September 5, 1948, p. X5
  15. ^ "The Musical Digest – Symposium," by Eric Claudin, Dallas Morning News, April 16, 1950, p. 4
  16. ^ "Today in Music History - March 12,"[dead link]The Canadian Press, March 1, 2013
  17. ^ "Hans Gruber Braves Vancouver Crowd", Nanaimo Daily News, July 16, 1951, p. 5
  18. ^ a b c "Life Story: Musician and Teacher, John Keil Richards Nurtured the Best in All His Students", The Oregonian, August 6, 2011 (retrieved December 7, 2017)
  19. ^ "Oliviers Present Antony Tonight – Acting Team Will Take Leads in Shakespeare Drama That Will Alternate With Shaw", New York Times, December 20, 1951
  20. ^ "Ex-Dallasite Now Olivier's Conductor for Cleopatras" (Special to the News), Dallas Morning News, December 22, 1951, p. 4
  21. ^ "First Strains of Concert Music Stir the Air of Ancient Nazareth", New York Times, May 11, 1953, Sec L, p. 29
  22. ^ "Symphony Conductor Pays City Flying Visit," by Mary Gene Kelly, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, June 6, 1954, p. 33 (accessible at www.newspapers.com/image/23838338)
  23. ^ "Symphony Performance Professional, Exciting", Corpus Christi Caller-Times, October 19, 1954, p. 25
  24. ^ "Symphony Finances Reported Encouraging," Corpus Christi Caller-Times,, October 10, 1954, p. 21; (accessible at www.newspapers.com/image/27944506)
  25. ^ "Symphony in Peak of Sound," by Charles Staff (né Charles Bancroft Staff Jr.; 1929–1999), Indianapolis News, March 26, 1956, p. 10 (accessible at www.newspapers.com/image/311495989)
  26. ^ "Jacques Singer Acclaimed" (Buenos Aires AP), New York Times, June 2, 1958
  27. ^ "Paper Says Singer Works 'Miracle' With Orchestra" (Buenos Aires AP), Corpus Christi Caller-Times, June 24, 1958, p. 8
  28. ^ "U.S. Conductor Praised – Texan 'Worked Miracles' on Buenos Aires Orchestra" (Buenos Aires AP), New York Times, June 24, 1958, p. 3
  29. ^ "Singer Conducts in Venezuela," New York Times, April 30, 1961, p. 6
  30. ^ "Singer All the Way in Monday Concert," by Martin Clark, The Oregon Journal, February 20, 1962
    Martin Hooper Clark (1920–1983), was music critic for the Oregon Journal, then The Oregonian
  31. ^ "Music Maestro Jacques Singer Will Launch Symphony Oct. 15," The Oregonian, August 26, 1962, p. 95
  32. ^ "Conductor is Praised in Oregon," Corpus Christi Caller-Times, March 8, 1962, p. 38
  33. ^ "Singer Gets Unconditional Release from Texas Symphony to Assume Portland Position", The Oregonian, April 13, 1962, p. 21
  34. ^ "Parting Notes" by David Stabler, The Oregonian, June 9, 1999, p. C1
  35. ^ "Vigorous, 'Ingenious Toccata' Opens New Symphony Season," by Hilmar Birger Grondahl (1899–1984), The Oregonian, October 7, 1969, p. 38
    (Grondahl was the classical music critic for The Oregonian for 45 years)
  36. ^ "Sour Note" by Herbert Francis Lundy (1907–1994), The Oregonian, October 30, 1971
  37. ^ "Symphony Society, Local Musicians Union in Controversy" by John Wendeborn, The Oregonian, December 26, 1971, p. 103
  38. ^ "Jacques Singer Freed – Guest to Conduct Oregon Symphony," The Oregonian, August 9, 1972, p. 18
  39. ^ "Good Seats Still on Sale for Portland Symphony", The Oregonian, October 14, 1962, p. 89
  40. ^ "Ricci To Open Series of Four Concerts Nov. 17," New York Post, December 6, 1964, p. 68 (accessible via fultonhistory.com)
  41. ^ "Conductor to Appear in N.Y. Experiments," The Oregonian, December 6, 1964, p. 128
  42. ^ "Jacques Singer, Ricci To Reunite in Portland," The Oregonian, August 22, 1965, p. 83
  43. ^ "Rehearsing New Work", The Guardian, April 17, 1970, p. 5
  44. ^ a b "Singer Lauded in Switzerland," The Oregonian, June 18, 1972, p. 67
  45. ^ "Symphony Directed," The Oregonian, July 2, 1972, p. 79
  46. ^ "Travel Stretch – Naumburg Announces 69th Season" by Ralph Hubley, Monitor News Service, Olean Times Herald Weekender, June 15, 1974, p. 7 (accessible via fultonhistory.com)
  47. ^ "Elkan Naumburg's Gift Plays On" by Raymond Ericson, New York Times, May 27, 1977
  48. ^ Reynolds Whitney – Detroit Mich.," Daily Chronicle, January 4, 1978, p. 5 (accisable at www.newspapers.com/image/123496131)
  49. ^ "Singer Conducts Philharmonic in Season's Final Spring Concert," Daily Chronicle, April 7, 1977, p. 12 (accessible at www.newspapers.com/image/123515749)
  50. ^ "Reyes in Debut With Youth Group," New York Times, December 15, 1974, p. 68
  51. ^ "Bronja J. Foster, 99" (obituary), Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana), May 7 & 9, 2016