Composer Ben Steinberg, son of the late Cantor Alexander Steinberg, was born in Winnipeg, Canada, in l930 and educated at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. Involved in traditional synagogue music since childhood (he was a child soloist at age 8 and conducted his first synagogue choir at age l2) his career is a long and distinguished one. Having served Toronto’s Temple Sinai as Director of Music since l970, Mr. Steinberg was appointed its Composer-in-Residence in l996. He and his wife Mildred have two children and four grandchildren.
He is a widely-recognized composer, conductor and lecturer, noted for his lecture-recitals on Jewish Music History and style at major centers and universities in Canada and the United states, including Cornell University, where he has twice been invited as Dean sage Speaker. More recently he has lectured and conducted in Australia (l990), Hong Kong (1992, 1997) and Japan (l992, l997 and 2000). He is the author of an award-winning book on synagogue Youth Choirs and co-author of the National Jewish Welfare Board publication “One People-One Voice”, a study in adult choral organization. He was a contributing writer to both the first and second editions (l98l and l992) of The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. He was Music Chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress (Toronto) for 27 years, and founding President of the Jewish Music Society of Toronto; he continues to serve on the Commission on Synagogue Music of the U.A.H.C. and is the current President of the Guild of Temple Musicians. He is the founding chairman of two unique annual competitions which encourage young musicians to compose and perform; His congregation’s Ben Steinberg Musical Legacy Award to a young performing artist, and The Guild of Temple Musicians’ Young Composer’s Award.
His works have been commissioned by numerous synagogues and other groups such as: The Toronto Chamber Players; The Royal Canadian College of Organists; The American Guild of Organists; The Canadian Jewish Congress; The Toronto Holocaust Remembrance Committee; the Weizmann Institute; the University of St. Thomas (Texas); Cabrillo College (California); Yale University in conjunction with Union Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College (New York); and The American Conference of Cantors. His compositions have been performed by such outstanding artists as opera star Richard Tucker, and actor/narrators Ed Asner and the late Herschel Bernardi. His works, published in the U.S., Canada and Israel, include six Sabbath Services, a Memorial Service, thirteen cantatas for chorus and orchestra, numerous choral settings, instrumental chamber works and solo songs. His music has been performed often in concert and broadcast worldwide. A recording of his Friday Evening Service “Shomeir Yisrael” was released by Arkay Records of California. Many of his works have been selected for inclusion in recordings by artists in Europe and across the United States.
His cantata “Echoes of children” for Choir and orchestra, commemorating the children who perished in the holocaust and broadcast under his direction on the Canadian National Network (CBC) won the prestigious 1979 International “Gabriel Award” for outstanding creativity in broadcast programming. A PBS performance of this work with the Toledo Symphony was shown on television stations throughout the U.S.
In addition to writing music for broadcast dramas, he has appeared as conductor for many broadcasts of Jewish musical content; the North American premieres of newly-discovered Jewish music of the Baroque period, programs of 19th century synagogue music, and programs of Jewish works by contemporary composers, including his own compositions. He was honored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which devoted a complete broadcast to the presentation of his synagogue music, performed under his direction by two cantors, a choir and symphony orchestra.
The recipient of many awards and honors, he is proud to have received the 1983 “Kavod Award” of the Cantors’ Assembly (Conservative); the 1990 inaugural Guild of Temple Musicians’ “Shomer Shira Award” and in 1992 was made an honorary member of the American Conference of Cantors (Reform). The American Harp Society presented him with a composer’s award in 1983, honoring his “Suite for Flute, Viola and Harp”, built on Sephardic themes. He was invited by Israel’s 1988 Zimriah (Choral Festival) to lecture on his choral compositions. Earlier, he was honored twice by the city of Jerusalem, which invited him to be an artist-in-residence at its creative retreat, “Mishkenot Shaananim” - an honor then reserved for composers, artists and writers of international stature. In 1998, New York’s Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion conferred upon him the honorary degree of “Doctor of Humane Letters”. On December 6, 2001, he received the Union of American Hebrew Congregations’ highest honor, the Eisendrath Bearer of Light award.
The University of Calgary (Alberta) in recognition of his contribution to Canadian and Jewish music worldwide has established a “Ben Steinberg Archive” to house his original manuscripts, scores and papers.
2002
CAPAC, Canadian League of Composers
BEN STEINBERG est né à Winnipeg et a fait ses études au Royal Conservatory of Music et à l'Université de Toronto. Rompu à la musique de synagogue traditionnelle dès son enfance, il est aussi devenu un compositeur, chef d'orchestre et conférencier renommé.
Sa cantate Echoes of Children pour chœur et orchestre, composée à la mémoire des enfants victimes de l'Holocauste et interprétée sous sa direction sur les ondes de la Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a remporté en 1979 le prestigieux prix international Gabriel, lequel couronne une création exceptionnelle dans le secteur de la radiodiffusion. Une interprétation de cette œuvre par l'Orchestre symphonique de Toledo et l'acteur Hershel Bernardi, en tant que récitant, a été donnée au réseau de télévision PBS à travers les États-Unis. En plus d'écrire la musique pour des dramatiques à la radio, Steinberg a dirigé les musiciens lors de nombreuses émissions radiophoniques diffusées à travers le pays, et comprenant certaines de ses œuvres parmi d'autres d'intérêt historique qu'il avait trouvées à l'étranger.
Steinberg a reçu en 1983 le prix Kavod de l'Assemblée des chantres, qui représente quelque 2000 synagogues conservatrices du Canada et des États-Unis. L'American Harp Society lui a décerné son prix de composition en décembre 1983, pour sa Suite for Flûte, Viola and Harp; par ailleurs, en 1978 et en 1980, la Ville de Jérusalem lui a fait honneur en l'invitant à une retraite créatrice en tant qu'artiste résident.
Steinberg a consacré la majeure partie de sa carrière de compositeur à créer de la musique juive. Ses nombreuses commandes en ce domaine lui sont venues des États-Unis -- de New York à la Californie, d'Israël et du Canada. Bien que ses œuvres soient souvent de nature liturgique, elles n'appartiennent pas toutes à cette catégorie. Néanmoins, même dans sa musique profane, il recourt souvent au folklore juif mondial (séphardique, yéménite, européen oriental) comme source d'inspiration vocale et instrumentale. Il convient de noter que ses œuvres, tant sacrées que profanes, ont souvent été interprétées dans des églises et des salles de concert, tout comme dans des synagogues.
Présentement directeur de la musique au temple Sinai de Toronto, Steinberg est bien connu dans les grands centres et les universités au Canada et aux États-Unis pour ses conférences-récitals sur l'histoire de la musique juive. Il est en outre auteur d'un ouvrage primé au sujet des chorales de jeunes.
1988
CAPAC (SOCAN)
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