Ryterband, Roman, 1914-1979

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Roman Ryterband (1914-1979) was born in Lódz, Poland to a Jewish family of musicians and lawyers. Having a great love for music at an early age but pressured by his feather to earn a law degree, Ryterband rebelled and pursued his dream of a career in music with encouragement from composer Alexander Glazounov. He received his education at the State Academy in Lódz and the University of Warsaw. In the years leading up to World War II, Ryterband traveled around Europe, gaining fluency in six languages. In 1939, as bombs were falling in Warsaw, he found himself on a deserted beach near Nice, France. From there he hopped the last train to Geneva, Switzerland before the border closed. He continued his studies at the University of Berne in musicology, laying the groundwork for a career that would span more than 500 public appearances and concerts around the world, garnering him numerous awards and prizes. Following careers in both Canada and Chicago, Roman Ryterband made his last move to Palm Springs, California in 1967. Being a composer and a musicologist, Ryterband researched the musical folklore of many nations in both hemispheres and adapted elements from these other cultures into his own works. Ryterband studied the musical heritage of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and integrated his findings into his compositions. The influence of Agua Caliente songs are found in the work Two Desert Scenes; this work features the use of a Cahuilla gourd rattle. Two Desert Scenes premiered at the Moorten Botanical Gardens in Palm Springs, California.