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Menachem AvidomIsraeli composer, teacher, music critic.
Date of Birth: 06.01.1908
Country:  Israel |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Teaching and Administration
- Leadership in Music Organizations
- Composition and Recognition
Early Life and Education
Menachem Avidom was born in 1908 in Ukraine, the son of Isaac Kalkstein and Elena Mahler, a niece of famed composer Gustav Mahler. In 1925, his family immigrated to the then-British Mandate of Palestine, later known as Israel. Avidom began his musical studies at the Paris Conservatory before returning to Israel and continuing his education in Tel Aviv.
Teaching and Administration
From 1935 to 1946, Avidom taught music theory at the Tel Aviv Conservatory and Teacher's College. In 1945, he became general secretary of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held until 1952. Subsequently, he served as an arts advisor to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism from 1952 to 1955.
Leadership in Music Organizations
From 1955 to 1980, Avidom was the general director of the Israeli Composer, Author, and Music Publishers Association (ACUM). He also served as president of the Union of Israeli Composers until 1971. In 1982, he was elected honorary president of the Union of Israeli Composers for life.
Composition and Recognition
Avidom was a prolific composer, known for his operas, including the historical "Alexandra of the Hasmonean Dynasty" (1953), nine symphonies (1945-1968), and numerous works for chamber orchestra and string ensembles. His contributions to music were widely recognized.
In 1961, he received the Israel State Prize for Music. Additionally, he was a member of the International Institute of Arts and Letters (FIAL) from 1958, an honorary doctor of musicology from the London Institute of Applied Research in 1991, and a recipient of the Order of Ursinia (Germany) in the same year.
