SAMINSKY, LAZARE

SAMINSKY, LAZARE (1882–1959), composer. He studied mathematics and philosophy at the University of St. Petersburg, and simultaneously composition with Rimsky-Korsakov at the Conservatory there. In 1908 he was among the founders of the society for jewish folk music . In 1913 he went to the Caucasus as a member of Baron guenzburg 's ethnological expedition In 1923 Saminsky settled in New York. There he was appointed music director of Temple Emanu-El and held the position until his death. He wrote five symphonies (the last, with chorus, subtitled Jerusalem, City of Solomon and Christ (1929–30), liturgical choruses, and services to Hebrew words. He was active   as choral conductor and lecturer. He published several books: Music of Our Day (19392), Music of the Ghetto and the Bible (1934), and Living Music of the Americas (1949). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: D. de Paoli et al., Lazare Saminsky, Composer and Civic Worker (1930), incl. bibl., 62–65; G. Saleski, Famous Musicians of Jewish Origin (1949), 151–4; Petit, in: Revue Musicale, 10 (Jan. 1929), 222–6; Baker, Biog Dict; Grove, Dict; Sendrey, Music, indexes. (Nicolas Slonimsky)