Rodan (real name, Rosenblum), Mendi
Rodan (real name, Rosenblum), Mendi
Rodan (real name, Rosenblum), Mendi , Romanian-born Israeli conductor; b. Iaşi, April 17, 1929. He studied in Bucharest at the Academy of Music (1945–47) and the Arts Inst. (1947–49), then conducted various ensembles in Romania. He settled in Israel (1960) and became a naturalized citizen (1961). Rodan was chief conductor of the Israel Broadcasting (later Jerusalem) Sym. Orch. (1963–72) and founder-conductor of the Jerusalem Chamber Orch. (1965–69), with which he toured Europe, the U.S., and the Far East. He was also made a teacher (1962) and a prof. (1973) at Jerusalem’s Rubin Academy of Music, where he later was director. (1985–94). He was music director of the Israel Sinfonietta in Beersheba (1977–91) and chief conductor of the Orchestre National de Belgique in Brussels (1983–89). From 1993 to 1997 he was co-conductor of the Israel Phil, in Tel Aviv. From 1997 he was music director of the Israel Sym. Orch.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire