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.

Career

Education

Jakob Singer was born in

Przemyśl Przemyśl (; yi, פשעמישל, Pshemishl; uk, Перемишль, Peremyshl; german: Premissel) is a city in southeastern Poland with 58,721 inhabitants, as of December 2021. In 1999, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was p ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(present-day

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

). 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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, settling in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark. Before making any sort of official American debut, Singer, as a teenager, had been playing recitals, in one case, at a

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

student social gathering at Earl Hall. In 1923, Singer became a scholarship violin student of

Leopold Auer Leopold von Auer ( hu, Auer Lipót; June 7, 1845July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, academic, conductor, composer, and instructor. Many of his students went on to become prominent concert performers and teachers. Early life and career Au ...

and his associate, Jacob Mestechkin (1880–1953). He made his American debut in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

the evening of February 11, 1925 at

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

performing (in solo) Bach's G-minor Fugue; then with pianist , Paganini's D major concerto; then with Schultze and violinist Jacob Mestechkin (his teacher),

Christian Sinding Christian August Sinding (11 January 18563 December 1941) was a Norwegian composer. He is best known for his lyrical work for piano '' Frühlingsrauschen'' (Rustle of Spring, 1896). He was often compared to Edvard Grieg and regarded as his succ ...

's Serenade for two violins and piano. Singer attended the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

on a scholarship in 1926 – in the third year after the institute was founded. While there, he studied with

Carl Flesch Carl Flesch (born Károly Flesch, 9 October 1873 – 14 November 1944) was a Hungarian violinist and teacher. Flesch’s compendium ''Scale System'' is a staple of violin pedagogy. Life and career Flesch was born in Moson (now part of Mosonmag ...

. Curtis did not issue diplomas during its first ten years. Singer was in The Students' Orchestra for Curtis' 1926–1927 season.

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appear ...

was conductor. Singer began attending the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

in 1927, studying with

Paul Kochanski Paul Kochanski (born Paweł Kochański; 30 August 1887 – 12 January 1934) was a Polish violinist, composer and arranger active in the United States. Training and early career Paweł Kochański was born in Odesa to Polish-Jewish pare ...

, and Rubin Goldmark. Singer was also a violinist with the Juilliard Graduate School String Orchestra;

Albert Stoessel Albert Frederic Stoessel (October 11, 1894 – May 12, 1943) was an American composer, violinist and conductor. Biography He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1894. He studied music at the Berlin Hochschule as a pupil of Emanuel Wirth and ...

was the conductor. Singer graduated from Juilliard in 1930.

Philadelphia Orchestra

While at Juilliard, Singer became a violinist with the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscriptio ...

at age eighteen, their youngest member at the time.

took an interest in him and requested he conduct a contemporary piece at one of the rehearsals in 1935. 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.

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra

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.

Dallas Symphony: 1938–1942

With a recommendation from Stokowski, Singer made his conducting debut with the

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins to ...

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 Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'' magazine, Singer became engaged in a feud with critic John ("Rosy") Rosenfield (born Max John Rosenfield Jr.; 1900–1966) of ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

''. Rosenfield lauded Singer early on, but soon turned against him. Singer became angry enough to print handbills and make speeches defending himself during concert intermissions. In spring 1951, Rosenfield published an article in the ''

Southwest Review The ''Southwest Review'' is a literary journal published quarterly, based on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas, Texas. It is the third oldest literary quarterly in the United States. The current editor-in-chief is Greg Browndervi ...

'' 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.''

World War II

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

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Singer served as a private in the U.S. Army. He saw active service and received three

battle stars A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

for New Guinea, Bataan, and Corregidor. He conducted army band concerts, including the first concert given after the liberation of Corregidor.

New Orleans Summer Concerts: 1946

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

Vancouver Symphony: 1947–1951

A guest conducting engagement with the

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...

led to his appointment as a conductor of that orchestra from 1947 to 1951. Singer, an advocate of contemporary music 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. The First Symposium of Canadian Contemporary Music was held in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

March 12–15, 1950, at the

Hotel Vancouver The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, formerly and still informally called the Hotel Vancouver, is a historic hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located along West Georgia Street the hotel is situated within the city's Financial District, in Downtown ...

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: *

Violet Archer Violet Louise Archer (24 April 191321 February 2000) was a Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist. Born Violet Balestreri in Montreal, Quebec, in 1913, her family changed their name to Archer in 1940. She died in Ottawa o ...

* Leonard Edwin Basham ''(pseudonym'' Robert Lenard Barclay; 1918–1980) * John Beckwith * Richard Tom Bevan (1894–1965) *

Howard Cable Howard Reid Cable (December 15, 1920March 30, 2016) was a conductor, arranger, music director, composer, and radio and television producer. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Biography Cable received an Associate diploma (ATCM) from The ...

* Edwin Alec Collins (born 1893) * Robert Fleming *

Harry Freedman Harry Freedman (''Henryk Frydmann''), (April 5, 1922 – September 16, 2005) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, English hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphony, symphonic works, including the scores ...

Ernest MacMillan Sir Ernest Alexander Campbell MacMillan, (August 18, 1893 – May 6, 1973) was a Canadian orchestral conductor, composer, organist, and Canada's only "Musical Knight". He is widely regarded as being Canada's pre-eminent musician, from the ...

* Paul Alexander de Marky (1897–1982) *

Oskar Morawetz Oskar Morawetz, (January 17, 1917 – June 13, 2007) was a Canadian composer. Biography Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). He studied piano and theory in Prague and, following the Nazi tak ...

Bernard Naylor Bernard Naylor (November 22, 1907 – May 19, 1986) was an English and Canadian composer, conductor and organist. Early life Bernard James Naylor was born in Cambridge, England, on November 22, 1907. His father, Edward Naylor, was an English ...

(de) (1907–1986) * Charles O'Neill * Kenneth Peacock *

Barbara Pentland Barbara Pentland C.M. (2 January 1912 – 5 February 2000) was one of the pre-eminent members of the generation of Canadian composers who came to artistic maturity in the years following World War Two. Life and career Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba ...

Clermont Pépin Clermont Pépin (May 15, 1926 – September 2, 2006) was a Canadian pianist, composer and teacher who lived in Quebec. Early life and education Jean Joseph Clermont Pépin was born in Saint-Georges, Quebec in 1926. Pépin studied with influe ...

Godfrey Ridout Godfrey Ridout (6 May 1918 in Toronto – 24 November 1984 in Toronto) was a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and writer. Life and career Ridout was a descendant of Thomas Ridout, the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada during ...

Harry Somers Harry Stewart Somers, CC (September 11, 1925 – March 9, 1999) was a contemporary Canadian composer. Possessing a charismatic attitude and rather dashing good looks, as well as a genuine talent for his art, Somers earned the unofficial title ...

* Andrew Twa (1919–2009) *

Alfred Whitehead Alfred Ernest Whitehead (10 July 1887 – 1 April 1974) was an English-born Canadian composer, organist, choirmaster, music educator, painter, whose works are held in a number of important private collections, and an internationally recogni ...

Healey Willan James Healey Willan (12 October 1880 – 16 February 1968) was an Anglo-Canadian organist and composer. He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for band, orchestra, organ, and pia ...

The Symposium concluded with a panel discussion on Canadian music moderated by Alec Walton, a young banker and brother of composer

William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

. The panelist included Singer,

Eugène Lapierre Eugène Lapierre (8 June 1899 – 21 October 1970) was a Canadian organist, composer, journalist, writer on music, arts administrator, and music educator. He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the King George VI Corona ...

, Dorothy Cadzow (1916–2001), Charles O'Neill, Zilba Georgieva (soprano),

John Weinzweig John Jacob Weinzweig, (March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a Canadian composer of classical music. Weinzweig was born in Toronto. He went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, and studied music at the university. In 1937, he left for the United St ...

, and

Harry Adaskin Harry Adaskin, ( lv, Harijs Adaskins; 6 October 19017 April 1994) was a Canadian violinist, academic, and radio broadcaster. History Born to a Jewish family in Riga, in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire (present-day Latvia), h ...

. 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 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

. 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 Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

Elaine Keillor, was that the VSO fired Singer over circumstances directly linked to his promotion of contemporary music.

Selected performances

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 Gerard Schwarz (born August 19, 1947), also known as Gerry Schwarz or Jerry Schwarz, is an American symphony conductor and trumpeter. As of 2019, Schwarz serves as the Artistic and Music Director of Palm Beach Symphony and the Director of Orche ...

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 Artur is a cognate to the common male given name Arthur, meaning "bear-like," which is believed to possibly be descended from the Roman surname Artorius or the Celtic bear-goddess Artio or more probably from the Celtic word ''artos'' ("bear"). O ...

. On November 27, 1948, Singer, conducting the VSO, premiered

Wallingford Riegger Wallingford Constantine Riegger ( ; April 29, 1885 – April 2, 1961) was an American modernist composer and pianist, best known for his orchestral and modern dance music. He was born in Albany, Georgia, but spent most of his career in New York Ci ...

's "Evocation."

British Columbia Philharmonic: 1951

Singer next founded a rival orchestra, the British Columbia Philharmonic. At the first concert, Victoria Symphony Orchestra's conductor

Hans Gruber Hans Gruber is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the 1988 action film ''Die Hard'' portrayed by Alan Rickman. Gruber is a cunning thief and criminal mastermind from East Germany who holds the Nakatomi Plaza hostage to steal $640 ...

called the orchestra unprepared and the chorus incompetent, referring to a performance of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

's Symphony No. 9.

Broadway: 1951–1952

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, 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 George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra''; and the second for 66 performances –

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in aroun ...

''. Both plays starred

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

. The music was composed by

Herbert Menges Herbert Menges OBE (27 August 190220 February 1972) was an English conductor and composer, who wrote incidental music to all of Shakespeare's plays. Life and career Siegfried Frederick Herbert Menges was born in Hove on 27 August 1902. His fat ...

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

, who reportedly attended on opening night, remarked that the

pit orchestra A pit orchestra is a type of orchestra that accompanies performers in musicals, operas, ballets, and other shows involving music. The terms was also used for orchestras accompanying silent movies when more than a piano was used. In performances ...

sounded like a symphony.

Israel: 1952

In 1952, Singer guest-conducted the

Israel Philharmonic The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...

, the Jerusalem Radio Orchestra, and the Haifa Symphony (he). This included the first concert in

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

for the Haifa Symphony.

Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: 1954–1962

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. As a marker for the scope of the CCSO, its 1956–1956 budget was $53,000. Singer served as conductor there from 1954 to 1962.

Guest conducting

On March 25, 1956, Singer guest-conducted the closing season concert of the

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Ci ...

, to critical acclaim. 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 Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

School of Music A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

. The orchestra, with Singer conducting, also performed

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

' Symphony No. 1 and works by Chausson. Beginning around April 1958, Singer, as visiting conductor, led the

Buenos Aires Philharmonic The Buenos Aires Philharmonic ( es, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires) is an Argentinian orchestra based in Buenos Aires. Founded in 1946, it is based in the renowned Teatro Colón, and is considered one of the most prestigious orchestras in it ...

at the

Colon Theater Colon commonly refers to: * Colon (punctuation) (:), a punctuation mark * Colon (anatomy), a major part of the large intestine, the final section of the digestive system Colon may also refer to: Places * Colon, Michigan, US * Colon, Nebraska, US ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

. Reviews of a concert on June 22, 1958, by two Buenos Aires newspapers, ''

Democracia ''Democracia'' ( am, ዴሞክራሲያ, 'Democracy') is the organ of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party. It was launched as a clandestine weekly newspaper in July 1974, as the Central Committee of the Ethiopian People's Liberation Organi ...

'' and ''

La Prensa ''La Prensa'' ("The Press") is a frequently used name for newspapers in the Spanish-speaking world. It may refer to: Argentina * ''La Prensa'' (Buenos Aires) * , a current publication of Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz Bolivia * ''La Prensa'' (La Paz ...

'' lauded Singer's artistic accomplishments (after working two months with the orchestra). One critic referred to Singer as a miracle worker. In 1961, Singer spent a month with the

Venezuela Symphony Orchestra The Venezuela Symphony Orchestra ( es, Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela) is an orchestra in Venezuela, founded in 1930. They perform at the Ríos Reyna concert-hall in the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex. See also *Venezuelan music Severa ...

, culminating in 4 concerts, the first on April 29. The concerts received critical acclaim.

Oregon Symphony: 1962–1972

Singer debuted with the

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the 'Portland Symphony Society' in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. I ...

– 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 ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portlander ...

'', wrote, "Never has the orchestra been more responsive to a baton." 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. 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 Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and in 1967, the name changed from the Portland Symphany Orchestra to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Early in his tenure, Singer requested the concertmaster's violin to demonstrate a passage.

Tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

ist John Richards ''(né'' John Keil Richards; 1918–2011) 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." Singer proved to be a temperamental conductor there as recounted by a violinist in ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

''. In rehearsal one day, Singer told the

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

ist 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. 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 Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. Singer, with the

, performed many contemporary works that won favorable reviews, including a 1969 performance of Paul Creston's

tone poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ''T ...

, ''Corinthians XIII'', Op. 82, composed in 1963. Singer ultimately left the orchestra he had built, over a controversy that divided the organization. His attempt to bring in a new

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...

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 the some of the musicians. Singer believed in artistry over rules and regulations. Quality, reportedly, ruled his artistic domain. His contract with the Oregon Symphony extended through April 1973, though he did not conduct during the 1972–73 season.

Selected performances

Guest conducting

On September 24, 1962, before starting as Artistic Director of the

, Singer made his London debut conducting the

London Philharmonic The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphon ...

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...

, which included guest pianist

Rudolf Firkušný Rudolf Firkušný (; 11 February 191219 July 1994) was a Moravian-born, Moravian-American classical pianist. Life Born in Moravian town Napajedla, Firkušný started his musical studies with the composers Leoš Janáček and Josef Suk, and ...

. The performance won Singer and Firkušný eight curtain calls and a music critic from London's ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' declared it a "personal triumph" for Singer. On December 8, 1964, Singer flew from Portland to New York to conduct members of

American Symphony Orchestra The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York City, New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski whose mission is to demystify orchestral music and make it accessible and affordable for all audiences. Leon Botstein is th ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

's Philharmic Hall in a program that featured violinist

Ruggiero Ricci Ruggiero Ricci (24 July 1918 – 5 August 2012) was an American violinist known for performances and recordings of the works of Paganini. Biography He was born in San Bruno, California, the son of Italian immigrants who first named him Woodrow ...

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:

Ricci Ricci () is an Italian surname, derived from the adjective "riccio", meaning curly. Notable Riccis Arts and entertainment * Antonio Ricci (painter) (c.1565–c.1635), Spanish Baroque painter of Italian origin * Christina Ricci (born 1980), Ameri ...

, November 8 and 9, 1965, reunited with Singer in Portland, with the

, and performed the Paganini,

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

, and

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

concertos. On April 17, 1970, Singer debuted with the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

as guest conductor of a program that included a London debut of a piano concerto by Richard Yardumian, performed by Jeffrey Siegel. On January 11, 1972, Singer conducted the

Honolulu Symphony The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, formerly known as Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1900. It is the second oldest orchestra in the USA west of the Rocky Mountains. The orchestra now plays at Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Hawaii Th ...

featuring pianist

John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...

. In early June 1972, Singer conducted the

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) is a Swiss symphony orchestra, based in Geneva at the Victoria Hall. In addition to symphony concerts, the OSR performs as the opera orchestra in productions at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. History Er ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

, to critical acclaim, featuring works of

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...

, and

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

(''

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini The ''Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'', Op. 43, (russian: Рапсодия на тему Паганини, ''Rapsodiya na temu Paganini'') is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff for piano and orchestra, closely resembling a piano ...

'', Giuseppe La Licata at the piano). The concert was broadcast countrywide. On June 18, 1972, and again on January 18 & 21, 1973, he guest-conducted the

. The June 18 concert included the

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

premier of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 12.

Naumburg Summer Concerts in Central Park: 1974–1979

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 Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

at the Naumburg Band Shell, adjacent to

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping ...

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. The Naumburg Band Shell, currently (as of ), has endured for years.

Programs

Northern Illinois University: 1977–1980

Singer became an artist in residence at

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...

, 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 The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

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.

Guest conducting

In 1974, Jacques Singer guest-conducted the Cosmopolitan Symphony, a New York City youth orchestra founded in 1963. He enjoyed encouraging young artists, and delighted in guest conducting rehearsals or concerts of the New York conservatories, which included those of

and the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in m ...

, as well as high school musicians, which included his daughter Lori.

Death

Jacques Singer died August 11, 1980, at his home in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, aged 70.

Family

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 Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

to the

, sailing from

Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...

on October 21, 1920, aboard the

USS Susquehanna Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS or USNS ''Susquehanna'', for the Susquehanna River which rises in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeastern corner of Maryland into the Chesapeake Ba ...

, 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 Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.chanter The chanter is the part of the bagpipe upon which the player creates the melody. It consists of a number of finger-holes, and in its simpler forms looks similar to a recorder. On more elaborate bagpipes, such as the Northumbrian bagpipes or the ...

". 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 Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Van Vorst Park Van Vorst Park is a neighborhood in the Historic Downtown of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, centered on a park sharing the same name. The neighborhood is located west of Paulus Hook and Marin Boulevard, north of Grand Street, east of ...

. Jacques Singer became a naturalized citizen sometime between 1920 and 1930 in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. On January 28, 1946, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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 The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...

with

Silvio Scionti Silvio Vittore Alberto Scionti (; born 20 November 1882; d 22 May 1973) was an Italian-born American pianist and teacher. Born in Acireale, Sicily, he trained at the Royal Conservatory in Naples. He eventually settled in the United States, teachi ...

and in the latter 1940s, in New York with

Sidney Foster Sidney Foster (May 23, 1917 — February 7, 1977), born Sidney Earl Finkelstein, was an American virtuoso pianist and teacher. He studied with Isabelle Vengerova and David Saperton at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and in 1940 bec ...

''(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), also a pianist and later longtime music professor at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest c ...

Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music. It has more than 1,500 students, approximately half of whom ar ...

. Sidney Foster and Bronja Singer both graduated from the

on May 17, 1938, with Diplomas in Piano. Jacques and Leslie had four children: Claude,

Marc Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

, Lori, and Gregory. Lori and Gregory are twins.

and Lori are actors. Claude is a brand strategist in New York City. Gregory, a

graduate, is a prolific violinist, conductor, and pedagogue, is the music director of th
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.

Awards

* 1959: Gold Medal,

Discography and extant recordings

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

Notes and references

Notes

General references: books

* ''Symphony Conductors of the U.S.A.'' by Hope Stoddard (1900–1987), New York: Thomas Y. Crowell (1957), p. 375; * ''Living Musicians'', 1st supplement, compiled by David Ewen (1897–1985),

H.W. Wilson Co. The H. W. Wilson Company, Inc. is a publisher and indexing company that was founded in 1898 and is located in The Bronx, New York. It provides print and digital content aimed at patrons of public school, college, and professional libraries in bo ...

(1957), p. 144;

General references: articles

* "Role of Music in Israel", interview with Jacques Singer, ''

The Etude ''The Etude'' was an American print magazine dedicated to music founded by Theodore Presser (1848–1925) at Lynchburg, Virginia, and first published in October 1883. Presser, who had also founded the Music Teachers National Association, moved ...

'', Vol. 72, No. 7, July 1954, pp. 13 & 61 (accessible ''via'' ) * Portland Symphony Program, February 28, 1966; * "Symphony Conductor Singer Fired", '' The Oregon Journal'', December 17, 1971, p. 1 * Social Security Death Index (as a reference for DOB)

Books, magazines, journals, dissertations, and websites

Newspapers

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Jacques 1910 births 1980 deaths American male conductors (music) American people of Polish-Jewish descent Polish emigrants to the United States Jewish American musicians Juilliard School alumni Texas classical music Musicians from Oregon Curtis Institute of Music alumni Oregon Symphony 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century male musicians