Jed Gaylin
Encyclopedia
Jed Gaylin was born to Ned and Rita Gaylin on August 13, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois. He moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland in 1968, and grew up there. He enrolled at Oberlin College
studying piano with Lydia Frumkin as well as physics, graduating as an elected member of Pi Kappa Lambda
(musical honors society) as pianist (1985) and conductor (1986). For two years, he played piano in restaurants and bars in New York City and Cleveland, developing an interest in jazz and vintage American popular song. He also conducted the Cleveland Institute of Music
Preparatory Orchestra, and taught piano there. From 1988-1991, he attended the Peabody Conservatory to study conducting with Frederik Prausnitz
, with a full teaching assistantship in ear training, earning his doctorate in 1995. Peabody awarded him the Presser Music Award in 1991 to conduct in Russia and Poland, and further his exploration of late Soviet period composers little known beyond the iron curtain. His doctoral paper explored the music of such composers as Sofia Gubaidulina
, Giya Kancheli
before they became popular in the US, as well as lesser known composers such as Nikolai Sidelnikov
and more established composers (Alfred Schnittke
, Rodion Shchedrin
).
In 1992, Gaylin was appointed as the first Music Director of the Loudoun Symphony, a post he held till 1997. Also in 1992 he was named Resident Conductor of Hopkins Symphony Orchestra. He married poet/essayist Lia Purpura
and they settled in Baltimore where they currently reside with their son. Gaylin was named Music Director of Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in 1993, a position at Johns Hopkins University he maintains today. In 1995 Gaylin was one of four Conducting Fellows at Aspen Music Festival.
In 1997 Gaylin was appointed Music Director of the Bridgeton Symphony, which has grown in stature and quality and his direction and was renamed the Bay-Atlantic Symphony in 1998 to reflect its regional significance. Concurrently, Gaylin became increasingly known in Europe as a guest conductor, having directed the Pomorska Filharmonia and Lodz Philharmonic in Poland, the Gnessin Institute Orchestra and Moscow Chamber Symphony, the Academia of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona repeatedly, the Sibiu State Philharmonic in Romania where he was Principal Guest Conductor, and the Bucharest National Radio Orchestra. Other guest appearances include Orvieto Festival Orchestra in Italy, The National Film and Radio Philharmonic in Beijing, the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra abroad, as well as numerous orchestras in North America. He has developed a close association with Baltimore's chamber opera company Opera Vivente, performing annually since 2006.
Television and radio broadcasts include National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition
," Voice of America
throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union, Bucharest Radio Orchestra, and the National Radio and Film Philharmonic in Beijing, as well as Public Television and National Public Radio affiliate broadcasts in both New Jersey and Maryland.
Awards and honors include a Conducting Fellowship Aspen Music Festival, National Endowment for the Arts grant, membership in Pi Kappa Lambda (musical honors), and the Presser Music Award.
Gaylin is known for passionate and distinctive performances, his ability to synthesize and shape large musical structures with great sweep and conviction, as well as a great attention to nuance and phrasing. His repertoire is varied, with emphasis on Mozart and through post-Romantics, as well as contemporary composers. Gaylin has maintained a particularly close association with composer Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez
as well as James Grant. He has commissioned and conducted the premiers of more than 50 works.
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
studying piano with Lydia Frumkin as well as physics, graduating as an elected member of Pi Kappa Lambda
Pi Kappa Lambda
Pi Kappa Lambda is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music. There are currently 205 active chapters and approximately 64,500 individual members....
(musical honors society) as pianist (1985) and conductor (1986). For two years, he played piano in restaurants and bars in New York City and Cleveland, developing an interest in jazz and vintage American popular song. He also conducted the Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
Preparatory Orchestra, and taught piano there. From 1988-1991, he attended the Peabody Conservatory to study conducting with Frederik Prausnitz
Frederik Prausnitz
Frederik William Prausnitz was a German-born American conductor and teacher. His grandfather, Wilhelm Prausnitz, was the dean of the medical school at Graz, as well as a Privy Counsellor...
, with a full teaching assistantship in ear training, earning his doctorate in 1995. Peabody awarded him the Presser Music Award in 1991 to conduct in Russia and Poland, and further his exploration of late Soviet period composers little known beyond the iron curtain. His doctoral paper explored the music of such composers as Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
, Giya Kancheli
Giya Kancheli
Giya Kancheli , born 10 August 1935, in Tbilisi, is a Georgian composer resident in Belgium.Since 1991, Kancheli has lived in Western Europe: first in Berlin, and since 1995 in Antwerp, where he is composer-in-residence for the Royal Flemish Philharmonic....
before they became popular in the US, as well as lesser known composers such as Nikolai Sidelnikov
Nikolai Sidelnikov
Nikolai Nikolayevich Sidelnikov was a Russian Soviet composer.Sidelnikov studied with E. O. Messner and Yuri Shaporin at the Moscow Conservatory. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory where he was a professor from 1981...
and more established composers (Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
, Rodion Shchedrin
Rodion Shchedrin
Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin is a Russian composer. He was one оf the leading Soviet composers, and was the chairman of the Union of Russian Composers from 1973 until 1990.-Life and Works:...
).
In 1992, Gaylin was appointed as the first Music Director of the Loudoun Symphony, a post he held till 1997. Also in 1992 he was named Resident Conductor of Hopkins Symphony Orchestra. He married poet/essayist Lia Purpura
Lia Purpura
Lia Purpura is an American poet, writer and educator. She is the author of three collections of poems , two collections of essays and one collection of translations...
and they settled in Baltimore where they currently reside with their son. Gaylin was named Music Director of Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in 1993, a position at Johns Hopkins University he maintains today. In 1995 Gaylin was one of four Conducting Fellows at Aspen Music Festival.
In 1997 Gaylin was appointed Music Director of the Bridgeton Symphony, which has grown in stature and quality and his direction and was renamed the Bay-Atlantic Symphony in 1998 to reflect its regional significance. Concurrently, Gaylin became increasingly known in Europe as a guest conductor, having directed the Pomorska Filharmonia and Lodz Philharmonic in Poland, the Gnessin Institute Orchestra and Moscow Chamber Symphony, the Academia of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona repeatedly, the Sibiu State Philharmonic in Romania where he was Principal Guest Conductor, and the Bucharest National Radio Orchestra. Other guest appearances include Orvieto Festival Orchestra in Italy, The National Film and Radio Philharmonic in Beijing, the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra abroad, as well as numerous orchestras in North America. He has developed a close association with Baltimore's chamber opera company Opera Vivente, performing annually since 2006.
Television and radio broadcasts include National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition is the name given to a set of American radio news magazines produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It is the weekend counterpart to Morning Edition. It consists of Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday , each of which airs for two hours, from 8 a.m. to 10...
," Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union, Bucharest Radio Orchestra, and the National Radio and Film Philharmonic in Beijing, as well as Public Television and National Public Radio affiliate broadcasts in both New Jersey and Maryland.
Awards and honors include a Conducting Fellowship Aspen Music Festival, National Endowment for the Arts grant, membership in Pi Kappa Lambda (musical honors), and the Presser Music Award.
Gaylin is known for passionate and distinctive performances, his ability to synthesize and shape large musical structures with great sweep and conviction, as well as a great attention to nuance and phrasing. His repertoire is varied, with emphasis on Mozart and through post-Romantics, as well as contemporary composers. Gaylin has maintained a particularly close association with composer Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez
Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez
Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez is a Latin-American composer and teacher. He currently resides near Rochester, New York....
as well as James Grant. He has commissioned and conducted the premiers of more than 50 works.