Vladimir Heifitz was a composer, conductor, pianist and arranger. Born March 28, 1893 in the town of Chashniki (Vitebsk Province, Russian Empire, now Belarus) in a musically gifted family. His father, Yefim, his younger brother, Ben-Or, and his cousin, Yasha, were violinists.
Vladimir Heifitz graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatoire in piano. He made his debut in 1918 in Warsaw. He performed with cellist Grigory Pyatigorsky, worked as an accompanist of Fedor Chaliapin.
In 1921 he emigrated to the United States.
In 1923-1924 he was the accompanist of Iza Kremer. Later he worked as musical director of the theater Rudolf Schildkraut, wrote music for “Yiddish art tiietr / Jewish art theater” and Volksbine, conducted the choir “Poalei Tsion / Workers of Zion”, in the choir “Idisher culture gesellschaft / Society for Jewish Culture”, created his own choir “Heifets” Zinger / Singers Heifetz, “with whom he appeared on American radio and even toured in Israel (1952), etc.
Heifetz also worked as a conductor in American theaters, did arrangements for the choir of the Don Cossacks, wrote music for movies. The most famous of his work, of course, was written by him in the original music for the film by Sergei Eisenstein “Battleship Potemkin.” Heifetz was also the author of music for two Yiddish movies: “Green Felder / Green Field” by Jacob Ben-Amy (1937) and “Mirale Efros” by Joseph Bern (1939).
Vladimir Heifetz was the author of “The Biblical Suite for the Symphony Orchestra,” the “New Era” symphony, the opera “Pharaoh” and the oratorio “Golem,” as well as more than 80 songs in Yiddish.
In 1962 he became a member of ASCAP.
Vladimir Heifitz died of a heart attack on May 3, 1970 on the stage in Deer Park, Long Island during the concert of Sidor Belarsky.
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa ๐
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wifeโs sister was my stepmother, so Iโm interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wifeโs daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. Iโd like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemerโs โSheleg Al Iriโ. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew ืืงืืื ืขืืืื . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
ืฉืืื ืฉืืขืื!
ืื ืฉืืืชื ืืืชื. ืขืืืชื ืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืคืืจืืืจ 1998 ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ื ืืืืืืกื ืืงืื ืืช ืืขืืจื ืืืงืฆืืขืืช ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืงืืืืช ืื ืืืฉืจืื. ืื ืกืืคืืจ ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉื ืืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื. ืืื ืืื ืื ืื 9. ืืขืช ืืื ืื 36 ืืืชืคืงื ืืืืคื ืขืฆืืื. ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืขืชืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืจื, ืืืืจืื ืืคืืื ืฆืืืช, ืืื ืืืื ืฆืจืืืื ืืขืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื ืจืืื!
ืืฉื ืงืื ื
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!