Brian Israel (February 5, 1951 - May 7, 1986), was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

, and conductor. He was a faculty member of the

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

School of Music from 1975 until his death, at age 35, from

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

. He left a large number of symphonic, chamber, and solo works, several of which have been recorded for Spectrum, Redwood, Pro-Viva,

Innova Records Innova Recordings is the independent record label of the non-profit American Composers Forum based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1982 to document the winners of the McKnight Fellowship offered by its parent organization, the Minnesot ...

, and

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. See also * List of record la ...

. "His music is marked by extreme contrasts in tempo and mood, often following a witty or downright funny movement with one that is deadly serious." In his honor, the Syracuse Society for New Music awards the Brian Israel Prize every year to an emerging New York State composer. In addition, Syracuse University gives the Brian Israel Award each year to a deserving student composer at the university.Society for New Music, website
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Biography

A native of the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York, Brian Israel studied with Lawrence Widdoes,

Ulysses Kay Ulysses Simpson Kay (January 7, 1917 in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona – May 20, 1995 in Englewood, New Jersey, Englewood, New Jersey) was an American composer. His music is mostly neoclassicism, neoclassical in style. Life and career Kay, the ...

Robert Moffat Palmer Robert Moffat (variously "Moffatt" and "Moffett") Palmer (b. June 2, 1915, Syracuse, New York; d. July 3, 2010, Ithaca, New York) was an American composer, pianist and educator. He composed more than 90 works,''Ithaca Journal'' obituary, July 5 ...

Burrill Phillips Leroy Burrill Phillips (November 9, 1907 – June 22, 1988) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. Biography Phillips was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He studied at the College of Music at the University of Denver with Edwin Stringham and at ...

and

Karel Husa Karel Husa (August 7, 1921 – December 14, 2016) was a Czech-born classical composer and conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Music and 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. In 1954, he emigrated to t ...

. He received his MFA and DMA degrees from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, and joined the

School of Music faculty upon completion of his graduate studies. He remained at Syracuse University until his death from leukemia at age 35. A prolific composer, he won several awards and received numerous commissions, among them a commission from the Society for New Music. Several of his works have been recorded on Spectrum, Redwood, and Pro-Viva. His "Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble" is regarded as his "most original creation," according to composer Daniel Godfrey in a 1986 interview. The movement titles are "Crystalnacht," "Coronach" and "Liberation." As a pianist, composer, and conductor, he performed with numerous ensembles, including, for many years, the Society for New Music. Other notable works include a Piano Quartet (1984), his String Quartet No. 2 ("Music for the Next to Die"), and his final work: Symphony No. 6, for soprano, baritone, and orchestra, with texts from the Bible and Langston Hughes.

Recordings

* String Quartet #2 ("Music for the Next to Die"). Included on the album Society for New Music, Spectrum Records, 1984 (SR-183) * In Praise of Practically Nothing. Included on the album Eastman American Music Series, Vol.6, Albany Records, 1999 (Troy 277) * String Quartet #2 ("Music for the Next to Die"). Included on the CD boxed-set American Masters for the 21st Century, Society for New Music, Innova (616), 2004 * Sonatinetta for Mandolin and Guitar. Included on the album American Music for Mandolin and Guitar, by Duetto Gioconda, Querstand/Forte, 2007.

References

American male classical composers American classical composers Syracuse University faculty American male conductors (music) Deaths from leukemia 1951 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers People from the Bronx Musicians from New York City Pupils of Robert Moffat Palmer Pupils of Karel Husa 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American composers American male pianists Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians {{US-composer-20thC-stub