Sidney Robinovitch

Robinovitch, Sidney

Sidney Robinovitch. Composer, teacher, b Brandon, Man, 16 Jul 1942; BA (Manitoba) 1963, PH D (Illinois) 1970. With a doctorate in communications, Robinovitch taught in the school of social sciences at York University 1970-7 when he left to pursue a career in music. He had taken music courses at Indiana University in 1963 and studied with Samuel Dolin at the Royal Conservatory of Music 1975-8. In 1985 he moved to Winnipeg. Robinovitch has written for such performers as the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Canadian Piano Trio, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir. Many of his compositions have religious themes, including a major work for chorus and orchestra, Shireem (Songs of Love and Praise) (1988), his songs Canciones Sefardies (1978), unaccompanied choral works such as Chatsi Kaddish (1985) and instrumental works such as The Sons of Jacob (1979) for violin and piano. He also draws on contemporary poetry including that of Erica Jong (The Eggplant Epithalamion, chorus and piano 1976), Susan Musgrave (Kiskatinaw Songs, 1980) and Miriam Waddington (Prairie Sketches, orchestral suite, 1986). Finjan and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra premiered his Suite for Klezmer Band and Orchestra 4 Nov 1990. A later recording of the piece won a 2002 Prairie Music Award.

Sidney Robinovitch has written incidental music for film and radio. He is an affiliate of the Canadian Music Centre, past president of the Manitoba Composers' Association and a member of the Canadian League of Composers.