Robert Strassburg

Biography Early life Robert Strassburg was born in New York City. Among his teachers in Tanglewood were Igor Stravinsky, Walter Piston and Paul Hindemith. His formal academic studies were completed at the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University, where he obtained a fellowship in composition. He also completed a doctorate in Fine Arts at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles.

Academic career Strassburg's professional career as an educator begain at the Philadelphia Music Settlement School, where he served as the chairman of the composition and theory department from 1943 until 1947. After serving as a lecturer at Brooklyn College (1947–1950), Strassburg obtained a position as artist in residence at the Brandeis Arts Institute in Santa Susana, California (1951–1955). He was also the music director of the institute's music camp in Hendersonville, North Carolina. During his years in Miami, he founded the All-Miami Youth Symphony (today the Greater Miami Youth Symphony) in 1958, and was conductor until 1961. Additional contributions were made as the assistant dean for the School of Fine Arts at the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles (1961–1966). This culminated in an appointment as professor of music at Cal State Los Angeles in 1966. During this time he curated the Roy Harris Archive and published a catalogue of Harris' compositions.

Compositions

One of Strassburg's earliest compositions Lost was completed in 1945 and received critical acclaim. As music director for various synagogues Strassburg expressed a keen interest in Jewish liturgical music and completed several sacred compositions as well as music inspired by Jewish historical themes. His secular music included several works inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman. Strassburg also contributed to a variety of film scores as well as incidental music for such theatrical productions as: King Lear, The Rose Tattoo, and Anne of the Thousand Days

Liturgical Lost (1945) Festival of Lights Symphony - for string orchestra Kabbalat Shabbat (Liturgical) Mosaic Horizons (Litrugical for organ) Mah Tavu: High Holiday for Cantor, mixed choir (SATB) with optional keyboard, 1993 Patriarchs (String Orchestra) Psalm 117 (Choral, 1965) Torah Sonata - for piano. Tropal Suite (String Quartet, 1967) Terecentenary Suite (Viola & Piano)

Secular Fantasy and Allegro (1947) Festival of Lights Symphony (String Orchestra) Migrations of a Melody (Baritone Narrator Chamber Orchestra) Prayer of Columbus (for Voice & Piano, 1993) The Heritage of Heaven (string orchestra, 1955) Walt Whitman Cycle - (Tenor & Orchestra).

Three "Leaves of Grass" – A Walt Whitman Trilogy (Piano, 1996)

Publications In 1977, Strassburg wrote a biography of Ernest Bloch, Ernest Bloch: Voice in the Wilderness. The research materials for this publication along with Strassburg's notes are accessible at the Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts. The collection is archived for research purposes at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Students Among Strassburg's pupils are Yehudi Wyner, and John Serry.

Compositions

Lost (1945) Torah Sonata (piano, 1950) The Heritage of Heaven (string orchestra, 1955) Psalm 117 (Choral, 1965) Tropal Suite (String Quartet, 1967) Terecentenary Suite (Viola & Piano) Patriarchs (String Orchestra) Migrations of a Melody (Baritone Narrator Chamber Orchestra) Festival of Lights Symphony (String Orchestra) Leaves of Grass: A Choral Symphony (Choral symphony, 1992) Mah Tavu: High Holiday for Cantor, mixed choir (SATB) with optional keyboard, 1993 Prayer of Columbus ( for Voice & Piano, 1993) Three "Leaves of Grass" – A Walt Whitman Trilogy (Piano, 1996) Walt Whitman Cycle (Tenor & Orchestra)

Musical influences Strassburg enjoyed close contact with several other composers of his era including: Paul Ben-Haim Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Julius Chajes Erich Zeisl