Elkus, Jonathan (Britton)

Elkus, Jonathan (Britton), American conductor, pedagogue, and composer, son of Albert (Israel) Elkus;b. San Francisco, Aug. 8, 1931. He studied composition with Cushing and Denny at the Univ. of Calif, in Berkeley (B.A., 1953), Ernst Bacon and L. Ratner at Stanford Univ. (M.A., 1954), and Milhaud at Mills Coll. in Oakland, Calif. (1957). He was asst. director of bands at Stanford Univ. (1955–57), and then taught at Lehigh Univ. in Bethlehem, Pa. (1957–73), and also conducted its bands. After serving as director of music (1979–85) and chairman of the humanities dept. (1985–89) at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville, he was chairman of the history dept. at Stuart Hall School in Staunton (from 1989). He established the publishing firms of J. B. Elkus & Son and Laureate Music Press in 1984, and of East Bay Books in 1985. He publ. Charles Ives and the American Band Tradition: A Centennial Tribute (Exeter, England, 1974) and the critical edition of Ives’s Thanksgiving and Forefathers’ Day (N.Y., 1991).

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1959; Bethlehem, Pa., April 16, 1960); Medea (1963; Milwaukee, Nov. 13, 1970); The Mandarin (N.Y., Oct. 26, 1967); Helen in Egypt (Milwaukee, Nov. 13, 1970). M u s i c a l s : Tom Sawyer (San Francisco, May 22, 1953); Treasure Island (1961); A Little Princess (1980); Act Your Age! (Osterville, May 31, 1983). Also incidental music. B a n d : Camino Real (1955); Serenade for Horn, Baritone Horn, and Band (1957); CC Rag (1974); The Apocalypse, rag (1974); Pipers on Parade (1976); Chiaroscuro, suite (1977); Cal Band March (1978); transcriptions and arrangements for the Goldman, New Sousa, and U.S. Marine bands. CHAMBERS Sketches for 2 Clarinets and Bassoon (1954); The Charmer, rag for Clarinet, Trombone, and Piano (1972); piano rags; organ music. VOCAL: Choruses.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire