Victor Tevah
Encyclopedia
Victor Tevah was a Jewish-Greek conductor raised in Chile. In 1961, he acted as director to the Argentine Philharmonic (Teatro Colón); from 1966–1979, he was director to the Pau Casals Festival and Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra and the Puerto Rico Conservatory; Tevah led Chile's Symphony Orchestra as director and conductor from 1947 until 1985.
Tevah started the study of violin in 1920 and later attended the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica at the University of Chile. Starting in 1931, he spent 14 months studying at the Hochshule fur Musik in Berlin. Upon his return to Chile, Tevah worked at the National Conservatory and at the National Association of Concerts, organization directed by Armando Carvajal.
Tevah conducted many Latin American orchestras, including orchestras in Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. In 1960, while participating in the Pablo Casals' Pan-American Festival in Mexico, Casals met Victor Tevah for the first time. An invitation for Tevah followed, to conduct the second worldwide audition of Pau Casals' peace oratorio, El Pessebre (The Manger) in Acapulco, Mexico (1962). Marta Casals played the role of the soprano. A few years later, Casals invited the conductor to live in Puerto Rico where Tevah led the Pablo Casals Festival and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.
Tevah was a labor organizer in his early years and fought for the Chilean musicians to have decent salaries and benefits so they could be professional musicians. Amongst Tevah's many contributions to music in Chile and worldwide, he is noted for premiering the majority of Chile's new works while director and conductor of Chile's Symphony Orchestra. Between 1947 and 1980, Tevah introduced 192 works, 104 European and Latin American composers and 88 Chilean composers to the stage. Additionally, Tevah recorded 20 Chilean works. Tevah also arranged Chile's National Anthem (1957).
For his worldwide contribution to music and his support to the cause of freedom in Chile, the country he adopted as his own, Tevah received in 1980 the National Arts Award.
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
List of Chilean Jews
Pablo Casals
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
Biography
Victor Tevah Tellias was born in Smyrna, Greece (current Turkey) and was raised in Chile. His parents, Jose Tevah and Sofia, had lived in Chile since 1906. Tevah was born during Sofia's trip to Smyrna. His father was a Sephardic merchant from Greek ancestry. He lived in Valparaiso and Santiago, Chile, and also in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tevah died in Santiago, Chile.Tevah started the study of violin in 1920 and later attended the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica at the University of Chile. Starting in 1931, he spent 14 months studying at the Hochshule fur Musik in Berlin. Upon his return to Chile, Tevah worked at the National Conservatory and at the National Association of Concerts, organization directed by Armando Carvajal.
Tevah conducted many Latin American orchestras, including orchestras in Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. In 1960, while participating in the Pablo Casals' Pan-American Festival in Mexico, Casals met Victor Tevah for the first time. An invitation for Tevah followed, to conduct the second worldwide audition of Pau Casals' peace oratorio, El Pessebre (The Manger) in Acapulco, Mexico (1962). Marta Casals played the role of the soprano. A few years later, Casals invited the conductor to live in Puerto Rico where Tevah led the Pablo Casals Festival and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.
Tevah was a labor organizer in his early years and fought for the Chilean musicians to have decent salaries and benefits so they could be professional musicians. Amongst Tevah's many contributions to music in Chile and worldwide, he is noted for premiering the majority of Chile's new works while director and conductor of Chile's Symphony Orchestra. Between 1947 and 1980, Tevah introduced 192 works, 104 European and Latin American composers and 88 Chilean composers to the stage. Additionally, Tevah recorded 20 Chilean works. Tevah also arranged Chile's National Anthem (1957).
For his worldwide contribution to music and his support to the cause of freedom in Chile, the country he adopted as his own, Tevah received in 1980 the National Arts Award.
Internal Links
National Prize of Art of ChileNational Prize of Art of Chile
The National Prize of Art of Chile, was created on November 9, 1942. It was awarded yearly since 1944 and alternated the mention among Painting or Sculpture, Music and Theatre...
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
Argentine National Symphony Orchestra
The Argentine National Symphony Orchestra is the state symphony of Argentina, and is based in Buenos Aires.-Overview:Established as the State Symphony Orchestra, on November 20, 1948, via a bill signed by President Juan Perón, the orchestra was created that it could "constitute the pitch of...
List of Chilean Jews
Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra is Puerto Rico’s foremost musical ensemble, and one of the most renowned orchestras of the Americas...
External links
- http://teatro.uchile.cl/version%20ingles/orchestra.html Chile Symphony Orchestra
- http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/06/travel/what-s-doing-in-puerto-rico.html?&pagewanted=3 What's Doing in Puerto Rico (1986) New York Times
- http://www.emol.com/noticias/magazine/detalle/detallenoticias.asp?idnoticia=392362 Chile Symphony Orchestra Celebrates 69 Years
- http://www.artes.uchile.cl/uchile.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=conUrl&url=6652 Victor Tevah, Faculdad de Artes, Univ. de Chile.
- http://www.puertoricanposters.com/posters/130Lorenzo Homar, Casals' Festival Prints
See also
- OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- List of symphony orchestras in the United States
- Classical music
- Music of Puerto RicoMusic of Puerto RicoThe music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Taíno Indians, France, and the United States, and has become very popular across the Caribbean and across the globe...
- Conservatory of Music of Puerto RicoConservatory of Music of Puerto RicoThe Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico is a public institution of higher learning located in the historic Miramar a town in San Juan, Puerto Rico...