Ilya is Music Director and Co-Founder of theย New Budapest Orpheum Society, an ensemble-in-residence at The University of Chicago. NBOS was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium for their album,ย As Dreams Fall Apart โThe Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955).
Russian-bornย Ilya Levinsonย graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory, where he studied composition with Alexander Pirumov and orchestration with Edison Denisov. After immigrating to the United States in 1988, Levinson completed a Ph.D. in Composition at the University of Chicago where his training included instruction from Ralph Shapey, Shulamit Ran, John Eaton, and Howard Sandroff.
Levinson is Assistant Professor at the Music Department of Columbia College Chicago and Music Director and Co-Founder of theย New Budapest Orpheum Society, an ensemble-in-residence at The University of Chicago. The group specializes in performing music of the Jewish Cabaret. Their two CDโs:ย Dancing on the Edge of the Volcanoย andย Jewish Cabaret in Exileย are recorded on the Cedille label. Ilya Levinson is composer-in-residence with American Music Festivals, an organization committed to promoting cultural exchange and American music.
Levinsonโs catalogue includes operas, musicals, symphonic and chamber music, film scores and original music for theatre productions. His music has been performed by the Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra, Yaroslavl Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Sarajevo Philharmonic, CUBE Ensemble, New Music Ensembles of The University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and Duo Montagnard among others. Ilya Levinson was a winner of the 1994 Midwest Composers Competition and recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Fellowships in Music Composition in 1997 and 2003.
His โKlezmer Rhapsodyโ was recorded by the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band and released on the Shanachie label. A sought-after orchestrator, Levinson worked onย Bockchoy Variationsย by Evan Chen for the Minnesota Opera;ย Glass Houseย by Ellen Gould for Northlight Theatre, Skokie, IL; andย Voices, a CD by Michael Reily. Levinsonโs film credits include additional music forย Shtetlย (WBGH Frontline);ย Cleared for Landingย (Discovery); and the 1998-2000 fundraising videos for the Jewish United Fund, Chicago. He has also worked forย Kartemquin Films, Chicago.
Levinson wrote the article “Kashchey In Blue: The Rimsky-Korsakov-Schillinger-Gershwin Connection,” published in the proceedings of the Rimsky-Korsakov and His Heritage in Historical Perspective conference.
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!