Alexander Olshanetsky
Encyclopedia
Alexander Olshanetsky was a Jewish-American composer
, conductor
, and violin
ist of Russian Jewish descent. He was a major figure within the Yiddish theatre
scene in New York City from the mid 1920s until his death in 1946.
, which was then a part of Imperial Russia, Olshanetsky began studying the violin
at the age of 6. While a teenager he became a member of the orchestra at the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater; notably touring with the ensemble throughout Imperial Russia. He then worked as chorusmaster for a touring operetta
troupe in Russia. During World War I
, he served as a regimental bandmaster in the Russian Army. With the army band he traveled to Kharbin, Manchuria, and to Northeast China. In Kharbin he began working as a composer and conductor for a Yiddish theater group.
In 1922 Olshanetsky emigrated to the United States. In 1973, his extended family members finally began to come to United States. He quickly became a major presence in the Yiddish theatre scene, and produced numerous musical works for the Lenox Theatre, in Harlem, and the Liberty Theatre, in Brooklyn. His works were successful, and revivals of most of his works occurred in major cities throughout the United States. He also served as the Concord Hotel's first musical director.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist of Russian Jewish descent. He was a major figure within the Yiddish theatre
Yiddish theatre
Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; naturalist drama; expressionist and...
scene in New York City from the mid 1920s until his death in 1946.
Life and career
Born in OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, which was then a part of Imperial Russia, Olshanetsky began studying the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at the age of 6. While a teenager he became a member of the orchestra at the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater; notably touring with the ensemble throughout Imperial Russia. He then worked as chorusmaster for a touring operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
troupe in Russia. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as a regimental bandmaster in the Russian Army. With the army band he traveled to Kharbin, Manchuria, and to Northeast China. In Kharbin he began working as a composer and conductor for a Yiddish theater group.
In 1922 Olshanetsky emigrated to the United States. In 1973, his extended family members finally began to come to United States. He quickly became a major presence in the Yiddish theatre scene, and produced numerous musical works for the Lenox Theatre, in Harlem, and the Liberty Theatre, in Brooklyn. His works were successful, and revivals of most of his works occurred in major cities throughout the United States. He also served as the Concord Hotel's first musical director.