Building Bridges with Music: Stories from a Composer's Life
| Publisher | Paraclete Press Sacred Music |
| Composer | Samuel Adler |
| Arranger/Editor | |
| Voice/Instrument | BOOK |
| Difficulty | Unrated |
From his early childhood in Nazi Germany, to emigrating to the United States at age ten, through his years in the United States Army following WWII, and his professional experiences as a composer, conductor, teacher, author, Samuel Adler relates his encounters with some of the most important personalities in the world of music, the arts, academia, religion, and even politics.
“My life has been blessed with a most supportive family, many good friends, and a host of students who have made my teaching years rewarding and colorful. Building bridges with music seems to have been part of my destiny and I have embraced this enthusiastically whenever the opportunity presented itself.” - Samuel Adler
Dr. Samuel Adler, one of the greatest living composers and conductors of our time, is a legendary risk-taker. Born March 4, 1928, in Mannheim, Germany, at age 10 he narrowly escaped Nazi Germany during Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass.” He came to the United States in 1939 and taught for 63 years at Juilliard and Eastman School of Music. He has published over 400 works, and given masterclasses and workshops at over 300 universities world-wide.
This treasured collection of his incredible stories thoroughly details all these events in his life and much more. Building Bridges with Music: Stories from a Composer's Life (Expanded Second Edition) describes the rich life that Samuel Adler has lived. At 96, he continues to compose and speak his mind about many subjects. Including detailed discussions about his early life in Germany and his various collegiate teaching venues, this important volume includes Adler’s vivid recollections, and provides important essays on worship, music for the synagogue, and an interview on teaching. Musicians and laymen alike will enjoy this biography for its historical detail, musical insights, and particularly its many enjoyable stories.
This expanded second edition features a new foreword, a new final chapter that covers the five year-time period since the publication of the first edition, and a complete works list as well as expanded notes from the editor and publisher.
Paperback, 288pp
Publication date: 24th September 2024
REVIEWS:
"Samuel Adler’s unforgettable memoir Building Bridges with Music would be worthwhile and gripping reading for anyone, even if he were not one of the world’s greatest composers. Who else living can say that General Dwight D. Eisenhower had his personal tailor make a special uniform for him? Who else hid trembling in his Cantor father’s choir loft, trying to save music as the Nazis prepared to destroy their temple after Kristallnacht? But Adler IS one of the planet’s finest creators of music, and this latest edition of his wonderful book provides new insight into his nearly century-long journey and the creative process. Sam Adler, by the way, is still enthusiastically making music as he enters his 97th year, and we should earnestly hope that he will be doing so for the world for years to come." - Jack Lessenberry, Lessenberryink.com
“Samuel Adler has had a rewarding career working with many of the most important musicians of the last century. His memoir is packed to the brim with memorable stories and lessons from a composer’s working life, all told with remarkable honesty, gratitude, good humor, and hope.” - Brian Reinhart, classical music writer, D Magazine
