Born: June 1, 1909 - Włocławek, Poland
Died: July 19, 1993 - Ôyama-machi, Japan

The eminent Polish-born American violinist and conductor, Szymon Goldberg, played violin as a child in Warsaw. In 1917 he went to Berlin and took violin lessons with Carl Flesch.

After a recital in Warsaw in 1921, Szymon Goldberg was engaged as concert-master of the Dresdner Philharmonie from 1925 to 1929. In 1929 he was appointed concert-master of the Berliner Philharmoniker, but was forced to leave in 1934 despite Wilhelm Furtwängler vigorous attempts to safe-guard the Jewish members of the orchestra. He then toured Europe. He made his American debut in New York in 1938. While on a tour of Asia, he was interned in Java by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. Eventually he went to the USA and became a naturalised American citizen in 1953. From 1951 to 1965 he taught at the Aspen Music School. Concurrently he was active as a conductor. In 1955 he founded the Netherlands Kamerorkest (Chamber Orchestra) in Amsterdam, which he led with notable distinction for 22 years. He also took the ensemble on tours. From 1977 to 1979 he was conductor of the Manchester Camerata.

Szymon Goldberg taught at the Yale University from 1978 to 1982, the Juilliard School in New York from 1978, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from 1980, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York from 1981. From 1990 until his death he conducted the New Japan Philharmonic in Tokyo.

Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

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Works

Szymon Goldberg

Conductor

BWV 170 [w/ contralto Aafje Heynis]

Links to other Sites

Bibliography

B. Gavoty: Szymon Goldberg (Geneva, 1961)

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