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Jascha ZaydeAmerican pianist and conductor of Russian-Jewish descent.
Date of Birth: 25.10.1911
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Alexander Zakin: Early Life and Musical Education
- Career in Music
- New York City Ballet and Conducting
- Legacy and Teaching
Alexander Zakin: Early Life and Musical Education
Alexander Zakin, an American pianist and conductor of Russian-Jewish descent, was born in Argentina to a family who had emigrated from Russia. Zakin moved to the United States at the age of six months and began studying music at the age of three. By the age of seven, he had already made his public debut.
Zakin took private lessons with Clarence Adler before studying at the Juilliard School under Carl Friedberg. He also studied composition with Rubin Goldmark and Bernard Wagenaar. Although Zakin rarely pursued composition in later years, he did record his Variations on a Theme from Paganini's Twenty-Fourth Caprice.
Career in Music
WQXR and Piano DuetsZakin made a name for himself working for WQXR, a New York classical music radio station. He became its first full-time staff member in 1936 and initially hosted the weekly program "The Growth of Piano Music" by himself. Later, he co-hosted the program with another pianist, Clifford Herzer. However, Zakin's most enduring duo was with Leonid Hambro, both on the radio and on the New York concert scene. Zakin made several arrangements for their piano duo.
New York City Ballet and Conducting
Zakin also served as the staff pianist for the New York City Ballet, beginning in 1954. He estimated that over his 25 years with the ballet, he played the celesta in nearly a thousand performances of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker."
As a conductor, Zakin led the Broadway premieres of Gian Carlo Menotti's operas "The Medium" and "The Telephone."
Legacy and Teaching
Zakin taught piano privately, with André Michel Schub being one of his most notable students.
