Saminsky, Lazare (1882-1959)

Russian-US composer, conductor, and writer on music. He was a pupil of Liadov and Rimsky-Korsakov at the St Petersburg Conservatory. He was a conductor at Tiflis (1915-18), later becoming the director of the People's Conservatory there. After a period in London, he went to the USA, where he became naturalized. He was one of the founders of the League of Composers in 1924, became music director of the Jewish Temple of Emanu-El, and conducted widely in Europe and America. He was author of Music of Our Day and Music of the Ghetto.

Works opera-ballets The Vision of Ariel, Lament of Rachel (1913) and The Daughter of Jephtha (1929), chamber opera Gagliarda of the Merry Plague; Requiem; five symphonies (1917-30), three symphonic poems.