About David Botwinik
Lived 1920 – 2022 (aged 101). David Botwinik was a Canadian composer.
David Botwinik (; 12 December 1920 – 9 February 2022) was a Lithuanian-born Canadian composer of Yiddish music and music teacher.
Born in Vilna, Central Lithuania, he began his studies at the Yiddish music conservatory in Vilna at around age 13. Shortly before, he studied at the Conservatory of Music Santa Cecilia, Rome. In 1956, he emigrated to Montreal, Canada where he worked as a music teacher and as a choir director of Jewish Peretz School and United Talmud Torahs. For a short time, he published the collection of songs Der nayer dor (The New Generation) and the satirical newspaper Der shmayser (The Spanking).
In 2010, his book From Holocaust To Life (Yiddish: פֿון חורבן צום לעבן, Fun khurbn tsum lebn) was published by the League for Yiddish (New York). This book contains 56 original compositions, including Yiddish Holocaust songs, children's songs and choral compositions, with lyrics by various poets and some by Botwinik himself. In 2017, a CD containing 15 songs was published under the title From Holocaust to Life, Yiddish Art Songs. The CD features internationally acclaimed singers Lisa Willson, John Packard, Ian DeNolfo and Louis Danto. His son, Alexander, a Yiddish language lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, is producing a second CD of his music including songs from children and adults.
Botwinik died in Montreal on 9 February 2022, at the age of 101.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in David Botwinik's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped David Botwinik's
Frequently asked questions
Who was David Botwinik?
Canadian composer
When was David Botwinik born?
David Botwinik was born on 12 December 1920 in Vilnius.
When did David Botwinik die?
David Botwinik died on 9 February 2022 in Montreal, Quebec.
What was David Botwinik's occupation?
David Botwinik was a composer.
What nationality was David Botwinik?
David Botwinik was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Botwinik. https://biography.guide/david-botwinik/
MLA: "David Botwinik." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-botwinik/.
Chicago: "David Botwinik." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-botwinik/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:05 UTC