Gordon, Jacques
Gordon, Jacques
Gordon, Jacques, Russian-American violinist and teacher; b. Odessa, March 7, 1899; d. Hartford, Conn., Sept. 15, 1948. He made his debut in Odessa at age 7. After graduating from the Odessa Cons. (1913), he emigrated to the U.S., where he studied with Kneisel (violin) and Goetschius (theory) at N.Y/s Inst. of Musical Art. He played in the Russian Sym. Orch. in N.Y. and then was concertmaster of the Chicago Sym. Orch. (1921-31); also played in the Berkshire String Quartet (1917-20). He founded the Gordon String Quartet (1930), and led it until 1947; also was conductor of the Hartford (Conn.) Sym. Orch. (1936-39). He taught at the American Cons, of Music in Chicago (from 1921) and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (from 1942).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire