Weiner, Lazar
Weiner, Lazar
Weiner, Lazar ,Russian-American pianist, conductor, and composer, father of Yehudi Wyner; b. Cherkassy, near Kiev, Oct. 27,1897; d. N.Y., Jan. 10,1982. He emigrated to America in 1914, and became associated with numerous Jewish artistic activities in N.Y.; also took private lessons in composition with Robert Russell Bennett, Frederick Jacobi, and Joseph Schillinger. From 1929 to 1975 he was music director of the Central Synagogue in N.Y.; conducted classes in the Yiddish art song at Hebrew Union Coll., the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the 92nd Street Y; served as music director of the WABC weekly radio program The Message of Israel (1934-69). His compositions include an opera, The Golem (1956; White Plains, N.Y., Jan. 13,1957), 5 ballets, 7 cantatas, including Man of the World (1939), To Thee, America (1943), The Legend of Toil (1945), The Last Judgement (1966), and Amos (1970), over 100 liturgical works, more than 150 songs, many to Yiddish texts, and some orch. and chamber music.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire