Robert Strassburg (August 30, 1915 – October 25, 2003) was an American conductor, composer, musicologist and music educator. Included among his compositions are numerous musical settings of the poetry of Walt Whitman, as well as several sacred Judaic choral works. As a musicologist, Strassburg was an authority on the compositions of the composer Ernest Bloch.Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Cenential Edition, Nicolas Slonimsky, editor, Schirmer, 2001.

Biography Early life Robert Strassburg was born in New York City. Among his teachers in Tanglewood were Igor Stravinsky, Walter Piston and Paul Hindemith.Composer's Genealogies: A Compendium of Composers, Their Teachers and Their Students. Pfitzinger, Scott. Rowman & Littlefield, London UK & New York USA 2017 P. 522 (). His formal academic studies were completed at the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University, where he obtained a fellowship in composition. He also completed a doctorate in Fine Arts at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles.Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Cenential Edition, Nicolas Slonimsky, editor, Schirmer, 2001.

Academic career Strassburg's professional career as an educator begain at the Philadelphia Music Settlement School, where he served as the chairman of the composition and theory department from 1943 until 1947. After serving as a lecturer at Brooklyn College (1947–1950), Strassburg obtained a position as artist in residence at the Brandeis Arts Institute in Santa Susana, California (1951–1955). He was also the music director of the institute's music camp in Hendersonville, North Carolina. During his years in Miami, he founded the All-Miami Youth Symphony (today the Greater Miami Youth Symphony) in 1958, and was conductor until 1961. Additional contributions were made as the assistant dean for the School of Fine Arts at the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles (1961–1966). This culminated in an appointment as professor of music at Cal State Los Angeles in 1966. During this time he curated the Roy Harris Archive and published a catalogue of Harris' compositions."Robert Strassburg - 1915-2003" Biography of Robert Strasburg on milkenarchive.org

Compositions

One of Strassburg's earliest compositions Lost was completed in 1945 and received critical acclaim.The New York Times, November 18, 1945, p. 50 As music director for various synagogues Strassburg expressed a keen interest in Jewish liturgical music and completed several sacred compositions as well as music inspired by Jewish historical themes. His secular music included several works inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman. Strassburg also contributed to a variety of film scores as well as incidental music for such theatrical productions as: King Lear, The Rose Tattoo, and Anne of the Thousand Days

Liturgical Lost (1945) 4 Biblical Statements (1946) Torah Sonata (piano, 1950) A Gilgul fun a Nign (Migrations of a Melody) - on a text by Isaac Leyb for baritone, narrator, and chamber orchestra. Festival of Lights Symphony - for string orchestra Kabbalat Shabbat (Liturgical) L’kha odi - for Kabbalat Shabbat services. Mosaic Horizons (Litrugical for organ) Mah Tavu: High Holiday for Cantor, mixed choir (SATB) with optional keyboard, 1993 Patriarchs (String Orchestra) Psalm 117 (Choral, 1965) Torah Sonata - for piano. Tropal Suite (String Quartet, 1967) Terecentenary Suite (Viola & Piano)

Secular Fantasy and Allegro (1947)The New York Times, April 29, 1948, p. 19 Festival of Lights Symphony (String Orchestra) Migrations of a Melody (Baritone Narrator Chamber Orchestra) Prayer of Columbus (for Voice & Piano, 1993) The Heritage of Heaven (string orchestra, 1955) Chelm (Opera, 1956)The New York Times, January 1, 1956, p. X7The New York Times, January 28, 1956, p. 10 Walt Whitman Cycle - (Tenor & Orchestra). Congo Square- (Opera in one act) Leaves of Grass: A Choral Symphony (Choral symphony, 1992)The New York Times, July 20, 1997, p. H26 The Routledge Encyclopedia of Walt Whiteman. Kummings, Donald D., Le Master, J. R..Routledge, 2013 "Music Whiteman And" by Robert Strassburg p/p. 437-439 ISBN 9780415890571 Robert Strassburg Leaves of Grass on Google BooksA Companion To Walt Whitman. Kummings, Donald D. Ed. Wiley, 2009 p. 270 ISBN 9781405195515 Robert Strassburg Leaves of Grass on Google Books Three "Leaves of Grass" – A Walt Whitman Trilogy (Piano, 1996)

Publications In 1977, Strassburg wrote a biography of Ernest Bloch, Ernest Bloch: Voice in the Wilderness.Musica Judaica American Society for Jewish Music. Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 77-80 "Ernest Bloch: Voice in the Wilderness". Robert Strassburg Book review by Byron Cantrll on JSTOR.org The research materials for this publication along with Strassburg's notes are accessible at the Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts. The collection is archived for research purposes at the University of Florida, Gainesville.Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts - Special and Area Studies Collections - University of Florida Smathers Libraries. Accessed December 29, 2022.Ernest Bloch: Voice in the Wilderness, Robert Strassburg, Trident Shop, California State University, 1977.University of Florida Special & Area Studies Collection - "Robert Strassburg Collection on Ernest Bloch" Robert Strassburg's archive at the University of Florida Gainsville on ufl.edu

Students Among Strassburg's pupils are Yehudi Wyner, Jack Gottlieb, Charles Davidson, Diane ThomeUniversity of Washington School of Music Faculty- Biography Diane Thome on washington.eduThe Seattle Times, Melinda Bargreen, September 25, 2016, "Places of Memory: a woman born to write and play music" Review of memoir by Diane Thome on seattletimes.com and John Serry."Who Is Who In Music International 1958", Who Is Who In Music International, Chicago, IL. Biographical File # B11719 - John Serry. See International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England as current publisher.

Compositions

Lost (1945) 4 Biblical Statements (1946) Fantasy and Allegro (1947)The New York Times, April 29, 1948, p. 19 Torah Sonata (piano, 1950) The Heritage of Heaven (string orchestra, 1955) Chelm (Opera, 1956)The New York Times, January 1, 1956, p. X7The New York Times, January 28, 1956, p. 10 Psalm 117 (Choral, 1965) Tropal Suite (String Quartet, 1967) Terecentenary Suite (Viola & Piano) Patriarchs (String Orchestra) Migrations of a Melody (Baritone Narrator Chamber Orchestra) Festival of Lights Symphony (String Orchestra) Leaves of Grass: A Choral Symphony (Choral symphony, 1992)The New York Times, July 20, 1997, p. H26 Mah Tavu: High Holiday for Cantor, mixed choir (SATB) with optional keyboard, 1993 Prayer of Columbus ( for Voice & Piano, 1993) Three "Leaves of Grass" – A Walt Whitman Trilogy (Piano, 1996) Walt Whitman Cycle (Tenor & Orchestra) Congo Square (Opera) Kabbalat Shabbat (Liturgical) Mosaic Horizons (Liturgical)

Archives Audio recordings of several liturgical works composed by Robert Strassburg have been archived within the Milken Archive of Jewish Music. The Robert Strassburg Collection on Ernest Bloch is a repository of research materials which relate to the composer Ernest Bloch and Strassburg's professional endeavors as archived at the University of Florida - Gainsville within the Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts.University of Florida Special & Area Studies Collection - "Robert Strassburg Collection on Ernest Bloch" Robert Strassburg's archive at the University of Florida Gainsville on ufl.edu

Musical influences Strassburg enjoyed close contact with several other composers of his era including: Paul Ben-Haim Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Julius Chajes Erich Zeisl

References

External links Robert Strassburg on JSTOR.org Robert Strassburg at the Milken Archive (selected discography) Robert Strassburg's musical legacy as held in libraries worldwide and listed on WorldCat.org Robert Strassburg at The Juilliard School of Music Libraries The Robert Straussburg Collection of Ernest Bloch at the Belknap Collection of Performing Arts, University of Florida Knowing the Score: The Hidden History of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony by Sharon Katz Higgins