- LEVY, MARVIN DAVID
- LEVY, MARVIN DAVID (1932– ), U.S. composer. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Levy studied composition with Philip James at New York University (B.A., 1954) and with Otto Luening at Columbia University (M.A., 1956). From 1952 to 1958 he was a musical critic for various newspapers and journals. He composed three successful one-act operas: The Tower (first performance Sante Fe, 1957), Escorial (first performance New York, 1958) and Mourning Becomes Electra, based on O'Neill's play and commissioned by the Metropolitan, New York, for their opening Lincoln Center season (first performance, March 1967). In 1967, Levy received the Scroll of the City of New York for "distinguished and exceptional service." He was a founding member of the Fort Lauderdale Opera, Florida (1989), and served as its artistic director until it merged with the Greater Miami Opera to form the Florida Grand Opera in 1994. He also composed two cantatas: The Echoes and One Person; Chassidic Suite for horn and piano; Rhapsody for violin, clarinet, and harp; songs; music for films; incidental music for Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer and Trialogues. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove online. (Israela Stein (2nd ed.)
Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.