Farberman, Harold
Farberman, Harold
Farberman, Harold, American conductor and composer; b. N.Y., Nov. 2, 1929. He was educated at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (diploma, 1951) and the New England Cons, of Music in Boston (B.S., 1956; M.S., 1957). He was a percussionist in the Boston Sym. Orch. (1951–63) and conductor of the New Arts Orch. in Boston (1955–63); then was conductor of the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Phil. (1967–68) and the Oakland (Calif.) Sym. Orch. (1971–79); subsequently was principal guest conductor of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta (from 1986). In 1975 he became founder-president of the Conductors’ Guild. In 1980 he organized the Conductors7 Inst. at the Univ. of W.Va., which removed to the Univ. of S.C. in 1987.
Works
DRAMATIC Medea, chamber opera (1960–61; Boston, March 26, 1961); If Music Be, mixed media piece (1965); The Losers, opera (N.Y, March 26, 1971); ballets; film scores. ORCH.: Concerto for Bassoon and Strings (1956); Sym. (1956–57); Timpani Concerto (1958); Impressions for Oboe, Strings, and Percussion (1959–60); Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Strings (1965); Elegy, Fanfare, and March (1965); Violin Concerto (1976); The You Name it March (1981); Shapings for English Horn, Strings, and Percussion (1984); A Summer’s Day in Central Park (1987; N.Y., Jan. 21, 1988). CHAMBER: Variations for Percussion and Piano (1954); Variations on a Familiar Theme for Percussion (1955); Music Inn Suite for 6 Percussion (1958); String Quartet (1960); Progressions for Flute and Percussion (1961); Quintessence for Woodwind Quintet (1962); Trio for Violin, Piano, and Percussion (1963); For Eric and Nick for Chamber Group (1964); Images for Brass for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba (1964); The Preacher for Electric Trumpet and 4 Percussion (1969); Alea for 6 Percussion (1976); Duo for English Horn and Percussion (1981). VOCAL: Evolution for Soprano, Horn, and 7 Percussion (1954); Greek Scene for Mezzo-soprano, Piano, and Percussion (1957; also for Mezzo-soprano and Orch.); August 30, 1964-N.Y. Times for Mezzo-soprano, Piano, and Percussion (1964); War Cry on a Prayer Feather for Soprano, Baritone, and Orch. (1976).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire