Foch (real name, Fock), Dirk

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Foch (real name, Fock), Dirk

Foch (real name, Fock), Dirk, Dutch composer and conductor; b. Data via, Java (where his father was governor general of the Dutch East Indies), June 18, 1886; d. Locarno, Switzerland, May 24, 1973. He studied in the Netherlands and Germany, then began his career in Sweden. He conducted the Goteborg Sym. Orch. (1913–15); and was guest conductor of the Concertgebouw Orch. in Amsterdam and of the orch. at The Hague (1917–19). He made his American debut as conductor with a specially assembled orch. at Carnegie Hall in N.Y., April 12, 1920; also conducted orch. groups elsewhere in the U.S., and in Vienna.

Works

Ein hohes Lied, 5 fragments from the Bible for Recitation and Orch. (Amsterdam, 1931); a musical pageant in the style of the medieval mystery plays, From Aeon to Aeon; 3 ballades for Piano (1913); a cycle of songs from the Chinese (1921); Java Sketches for Piano (1948).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire