Bauman, Mordecai

Mordecai Bauman (1912-) has had a long and varied musical career as a singer and recording artist, a music administrator, educator and producer, much of which occurred in the context of progressive and labor movement cultural activity during the 1930s and 1940s, and he was personally and professionally associated with Hanns Eisler and Marc Blitzstein. Born in the Bronx, New York, Bauman received degrees from the Julliard School of Music (1934), Columbia University (B.A., 1935), and Case Western Reserve University (M.A., 1949). From 1952 to 1975 he was the founder and owner, with his wife Irma Commanday Bauman, of the Indian Hill, a summer workshop in the arts in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which he then donated to Brooklyn College, where he was Professor of Music and, from 1970-1972, managing director of Symphony Hall (Newark, NJ). Bauman was the founding director of the Bread and Roses Project, the ongoing cultural program of District 1199, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. Bauman also conceived and produced The Stations of Bach (1990) a documentary filmed in Germany, and has recorded the collaborative works of Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler, the works of Charles Ives, and American folk, labor and popular songs.

Mordecai Bauman (1912-2007) had a long and varied musical career as a singer and recording artist, a music administrator, educator and producer, much of which occurred in the context of progressive and labor movement cultural activity during the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, he was personally and professionally associated with Hanns Eisler and Marc Blitzstein. Born in the Bronx, New York, Bauman received degrees from the Julliard School of Music (1934), Columbia University (B.A., 1935), and Case Western Reserve University (M.A., 1949). From 1952 to 1975 he was the founder and owner, with his wife Irma Commanday Bauman, of the Indian Hill, a summer workshop in the arts in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which he then donated to Brooklyn College, where he was Professor of Music. From 1970 to 1972 he was managing director of Symphony Hall (Newark, NJ). Bauman was the founding director of the Bread and Roses Project, the ongoing cultural program of District 1199, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. Bauman also conceived and produced The Stations of Bach (1990) a documentary filmed in Germany, and has recorded the collaborative works of Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler, the works of Charles Ives, and American folk, labor and popular songs.

American baritone singer, Mordecai Bauman (b. March 2, 1912) was involved with progressive politics throughout his career; this commitment informed his choice of repertoire.

A graduate of both the Juilliard School and Columbia University, Bauman would specialize in performing the music of contemporary American composers, including the works of such close friends and associates as Hanns Eisler, Earl Robinson, and Elie Siegmeister. It was Bauman who introduced Robinson's song, "The House I Live In" (later made popular by Frank Sinatra) in the revue, Let Freedom Sing (1942). In addition to his performing and recording career, Bauman helped to found Indian Hill, a summer arts school in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which he and his wife, Irma Commanday, ran from 1952 until 1976. Later in life, Bauman also produced The Stations of Bach (1990), a documentary about the composer that appeared on public television.

Mordecai Bauman (b March 2, 1912) was a politically motivated artist who was at the far left wing of progressive politics in the 1930s. A baritone singer, he graduated from the Juilliard School of Music and went on to introduce many important works of the 20th century. He championed the music of his contemporaries, including Charles Ives, and founded the innovative summer arts school, Indian Hill, with his wife, Irma. He also produced a significant documentary about Bach.

Source Ard, Jamée. “A Passion for Music”, Alumni NewsSpotlight. Online version. (Accessed 07 April. 2005), <http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/aspot_0402_Bauman.html>