Surinach, Carlos

Title refers to the Desert Fathers, early Christian monks who were nicknamed "Athletae Dei." Composed 1960. First performance 54th Street Theatre, New York, 27 April 1960, Martha Graham and Company.--Cf. Fleisher Collection.

From the description of Acrobats of God : ballet for chamber orchestra / Carlos Surinach. [1960] (Franklin & Marshall College). WorldCat record id: 55739155

Composed 1945. First performance Barcelona, Spain, 8 April 1945, Barcelona Municipal Orchestra, Eduardo Toldrá conductor.--Cf. Fleisher Collection.

From the description of Passacaglia symphony for orchestra / Carlos Surinach. [19--] (Franklin & Marshall College). WorldCat record id: 55739206

Spanish-born American composer and conductor.

From the description of Sound recording of an article read by Carlos Surinach, [n.d.] [sound recording]. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155861451

From the description of Interview conducted by Oliver Daniel, Dec. 5, 1976 [sound recording]. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155861166

Composed 1954. First performance Utica, New York, 4 April 1961, Utica Symphony Orchestra, José Serebrier conductor.--Cf. Fleisher Collection.

From the description of Fandango for orchestra / Carlos Surinach. [1954] (Franklin & Marshall College). WorldCat record id: 55739202

Carlos Surinach (1915-1997) was an American composer and conductor of Spanish-Catalan origin. He studied composition at the Barcelona Conservatory (1936-1939), after which he moved to Germany to study composition and conducting in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Berlin (1940-1942).

In 1942, he returned to Barcelona to become conductor of the Barcelona Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gran Teatre del Liceu. After a period in France (1947-1950), he moved to the United States in 1951, and became a citizen in 1959. In the 1960s, he emerged as one of the most successful composers of music for dance, collaborating with Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and the Joffrey Ballet, among others. In 1963, the ballet Feast of Ashes, written for the Joffrey company, was performed more than 500 times.

Surinach composed in a variety of other forms, including solo pieces for piano, guitar, and accordion; string quartet; piano quartet; wind symphony; orchestra; and song settings of Spanish poetry. He also composed scores for several CBS television productions, as well as for advertisements.

Source: Antoni Pizà. "Surinach, Carlos." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed June 28, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/27136.

From the guide to the BMI Surinach collection, 1900s-1996, 1950s-1980s, (The New York Public Library. Music Division.)