Counterpoint Music Library - Composer Information
A native of Manitoba, Sid Robinovitch taught social sciences at York University, but since 1977 he has devoted himself to musical composition having studied at Indiana University and at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. He presently lives in Winnipeg, Canada, where he works as a composer and teacher. Having written for a wide variety of musical media, Robinovitch's music has been performed by the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, the Elmer Iseler Singers, and the Canadian Piano Trio. His works have been frequently broadcast on CBC radio, including original pieces based on folk-tales from around the world and his arrangements of Judeo-Spanish folk songs. In 1990 his Sons of Jacob for violin and piano was nominated for a Juno award as best classical composition, and in 1991 his Adieu Babylon was the commissioned work at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. While many of Robinovitch’s works are rooted in traditional or folk material, they often have a distinctly contemporary flavor as well. Dreaming Lolita , for example, is a dramatic retelling in poetic form of the famous Nabokov novel, and in Psalms of Experience the choral textures are infused with elements of Balinese music and rhythmic chanting. In addition to his concert works, Robinovitch has written music for film, radio and TV, where he is probably best known for his theme for CBC-TV’s satirical comedy series, "The Newsroom." Klezmer Suite, a recording devoted entirely to his music performed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bramwell Tovey, was nominated for a 2002 Juno award and received a Prairie Music Award for outstanding classical recording. Sefarad, a CD featuring his music for guitar, was released in 2008 on the Marquis label, and received a Western Canadian Music Award nomination for classical recording of the year. 2009 |
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