Profession: Composer
Biography: Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-American composer who made significant contributions to the music of the 20th century. His works are known for their spiritual and humanistic themes, often drawing inspiration from his Jewish heritage.
Bloch's best-known work is Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for Violoncello and Orchestra, which serves as an embodiment of his interest in Jewish musical themes. He also composed a series of works known as Jewish Cycle, which includes pieces like Trois poèmes juifs and Israel Symphony.
In addition to his compositions, Bloch was a renowned educator and administrator. He served as the director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Born: July 24, 1880
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Star Sign: Leo
Historical Events
- 1917-05-03 Ernest Bloch's "Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque" and "Israel Symphony" premiere in Carnegie Hall, NYC, with Artur Bodanzky conducting the former, and the composer conducting the latter
- 1953-01-01 Ernest Blochs's work for viola and piano "Suite Hebraique,", part of his "Jewish Cycle", premieres in Chicago
- 1954-07-28 Ernest Bloch's 4th string quartet premieres
Bedřich Smetana
Benjamin Britten
Charles Gounod
Jennifer Higdon
Krzysztof Penderecki
Melvin Van Peebles