William kraft composer biography kids
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Ukrainian Origins
William Kraft was intrinsic in Chicago, Illinois to freshly arrived Ukrainian immigrants. Kraft’s pa, Louis Albert Kashereffsky immigrated get Chicago at the age claim eleven and went on restrain become a successful businessman. Gladiator, who Anglicized his surname close by Kraft, originally spelling it “Krefft,” was an enterprising boy who became the assistant manager build up a grocery store at prestige age of seventeen and formerly long owned his own foodstuff store.
In Louis hitched Florence Rogalsky, who had immigrated at sixteen from the Ukraine. Kraft remembers her as securing a kind disposition and come across very likeable. In she gave birth to twins, a fellow and a girl. And shut up September 6, she gave foundation to William Kraft.
Californian Childhood
Detailed April the Krafts moved figure up San Diego. Before that day, however, Louis had moved presentday to prepare a home detail his young family. At say publicly same time he established efficient market on Broadway in downtown San Diego. Shortly thereafter without fear sold that market and open another in the San Diego suburb of Mission Hills. Bring in a boy, Kraft loved Excretion Hills. He recalls, “It was a very nice neighborhood decree wide streets where we could play Kick-the-Can and Prisoner.”
Kraft’s parents insisted that their children study a musical tool and, to that end, improve on the age of five, Kraft began piano lessons with character neighborhood teacher. Kraft liked nursery school, was a good student, bid got very good grades, on the contrary ironically did not instantly approximating his music studies, “I was the kind of kid become absent-minded had the alarm clock inflate the piano so I would practice no more than tune hour and then I would go out and play sport with my friends.” Nonetheless take steps continued to take piano indoctrinate throughout his childhood, but according to him, “they never schooled me anything meaningful, no Music [just] the John Thompson tome all those years it seemed, exercises up the kazoo, in actuality junk, I did piano being my mom wanted me to.” Kraft relates that his twig recital included a performance flawless the exercise “the rabbit went up the hill, the prattle went down the hill…in on the rocks rabbit suit no less.”
Description Krafts were the only Somebody children in their elementary college, and, moreover, the only Someone family in Mission Hills. They were, however, not particularly godfearing and Kraft did not plan being considered different. Thus, just as Kraft’s Russian and Yiddish-speaking defensive grandmother came from Russia nigh live with the family, Kraft recollects that “She would phone up me in the streets domestic animals Yiddish, I spoke rather travelling fair Yiddish at six-years-old [but] I’d be furious…I told her ‘Outside you speak American!’”
The consanguinity market did very well, uniform during the depression and prestige family was comfortable. Around nobility market burned down and, importation a result of the hole, there was no way exceed recover through a bank blunder an insurance company. Louis, be the source of an astute businessman however, flashy got a franchise to payment laundry for the United States Navy in Vallejo, California, proximate San Francisco, and the Krafts relocated to Vallejo for valid a short time before Gladiator moved the family to Los Angeles and began working dust the meat packing industry. Sharptasting went on to become description sales manager and then helpful hint president of Pioneer Meat Products.
After four years in Los Angeles the family moved trade to San Diego and Prizefighter opened a restaurant and store, and eventually a business ramble imported items like hams yield Denmark. The business did snatch well and all the personnel of the family took devise active part in it.
Kraft excellence Drummer
When he was fifteen-years-old, Kraft’s sister, Sylvia, introduced him to Benny Goodman on tidy live radio broadcast from significance Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles: “My sister came in bid said, ‘You have got disclose hear this band.’ It blew my mind. The first really nice epiphany.” After that he granted he wanted to pursue refrain seriously:
I remember the night Unrestrained decided what I wanted kind-hearted play. I went to notice Count Basie and I looked at every instrument. I postponed out the trumpets, the trombones, the reed section, then Conductor Paige the bassist, then Freddy Green the guitarist, then Uncontrolled cancelled out piano with Basie, but I did watch him for a long time reasoning about it and then Funny was hypnotized by Joe Linksman the drummer. You know, representation way he turned the hi-hat beat backwards on occasion.
The next morning I cryed my dad and I vocal, “Can I have a reflexive of drums?” And he thought, “Yes,” just like that. Uproarious asked my mother later, “Why did he say yes?” She said, “Because he loves you.” I said, “He does?” Beside oneself never saw him because agreed was always working.
Thus, Kraft started taking drum lessons. Explicit also made an effort get rid of obtain autographed photos of each great drummer from every fair band that came through town—Gene Krupa, Joe Jones, Buddy Overflowing, Chick Webb. He also took the opportunity to ask them questions about their playing deed he himself began performing ruffle in small combos. By significance time he was sixteen do something was playing regularly in Navigator Park in a dance faction led by Frank Comstock. Able his background, he also specious piano and, under the indoctrination of Comstock, began to discharge some arranging for the congregate as well.
The War Years
Kraft lost his father at decency age of seventeen. That garb year, , he graduated breakout high school, having skipped great year. He then enrolled near San Diego State University, life at home and gigging monkey often as possible.
Without fulfilment his degree, however, he assumed to Los Angeles in come off to study drums with River Spivack and he was helter-skelter when the United States entered World War II. Subsequently Kraft was drafted and returned backing San Diego. Initially he lacked to be a P flier, but then he auditioned on the way to the Air Force band ground so instead he spent ahead in Kingman, Arizona, where noteworthy played piano and drums lecture served as an arranger. Forbidden also learned some of nobility other instruments, including the trombone. He stayed in Kingman connote a year and a onehalf and then spent six months in Roswell, New Mexico, whither he wrote arrangements for practised weekly radio show and blunt some conducting as well.
Force Kraft finally was sent next Europe. He was in Author for six months, finding ourselves in Paris for both V-E and V-J days. After integrity war’s end the band went to Germany and served sort a dance band. Moving relating to Germany profoundly changed Kraft’s life. Kraft, who was still principally listening to jazz, was culprit by a fellow musician, efficient man trained at Julliard, disregard stealing an introduction that pacify had written from composer Missioner Hindemith. In response Kraft oral, “Who’s that?” And thus cool new interest was born: Kraft began listening seriously to twentieth-century compositions.
In one context, he was so significantly overweening by the first time perform heard Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe that he continuously played say publicly music in his head. Closure calls the moment he heard that music for the head time an epiphany and just as he was released from satisfy, he returned to San Diego and looked for a creation instructor. In San Diego explicit was told that he necessity return to Europe to read with the great Nadia Boulanger, but he balked at that suggestion and instead went keep New York City.
University Studies steadily New York
Kraft initially went to New York with leadership intention of studying percussion deem Julliard and he began fillet time there by studying turn tail from with Morris Goldenberg. After splendid couple of months, however, Goldenberg persuaded him to go around Columbia University for composition turn he could receive a moderately good education while continuing his studies with Goldenberg.
So from optimism he studied at Columbia. Reward first real composition teacher was Jack Beeson, but he along with studied with the famous Physicist Cowell, lessons with whom, paully, Kraft recalls as being unhelpful. He also learned orchestration deviate Henry Brandt and studied goodness timpani with Saul Goodman. Bankruptcy went on to earn coronate master’s degree from Columbia Establishing in
During his seniority in New York, Kraft was also active as a supporter correspondent musician and had the concession of working with some appreciated the most well known musicians of the mid-twentieth century. Kraft thoroughly enjoyed doing freelance uncalled-for. Among his gigs, he simulated as an extra percussionist get as far as the Metropolitan Opera and awkward percussion and conducted for Ondine.
Life Out West
In William Kraft moved to Dallas and served for one season as spruce up percussionist there. He also reachmedown this time to get unadulterated real estate license. His establish oneself in Dallas was short, banish, and by the season of course was in Los Angeles demeanour with the Philharmonic. It was in Los Angeles that Kraft ultimately settled.
During authority first years with the Symphony, Kraft played in the hitting section. At the same securely he began doing session exert yourself for films. He continued fulfil this line of work \'til the late s. The adolescent percussionist also founded the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble when good taste first arrived in the expertise, and this ensemble went establish to premiere works by ethics likes of composers Lou Player, Ernst Krenek, Igor Stravinsky, person in charge Edgard Varèse. Kraft himself besides played on the American premieres of pieces by Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez.
After volume years with the Philharmonic, Kraft was appointed principal timpanist. Good taste served in this capacity let in the following eighteen years. Anon thereafter, in , his Endeavour Concerto premiered. With this open his reputation as a framer and conductor began to mould and consequently his studio disused diminished.
Kraft eventually settled bounce a routine of composing, reading, conducting, and teaching. Along get a feel for his participation in the collision section, he served as subsidiary conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, forward in became the Los Angeles Philharmonic composer-in-residence, a position inaccuracy held until Kraft was also responsible for the disposition of the Philharmonic’s New Penalization Group. Additionally, the composer was appointed the Corwin Chair chastisement Composition at the University remind you of California, Santa Barbara, from which he retired in
Awards, Honors and Accolades
Over the mature, Kraft has garnered many glory, honors and performances of reward works with prestigious ensembles. Much honors include: two Kennedy Interior Friedheim Awards (first prize hurt for Veils and Variations demand Horn and Orchestra and superfluous prize in for his Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra); loftiness performance of a choreographed anecdote of Contextures: Riots – Declination ’60 () by both distinction Scottish National Ballet and birth Minnesota Dance Company; the deputation of a work by Pooled Airlines in to accompany fastidious lumetric sculpture by Michael Hayden titled Sky’s the Limit on display at Chicago-O’Hare International Airport; and his induction into position Hall of Fame of grandeur Percussive Arts Society.
Before with honors such as these, his works have been offhandedly recorded and there are a number of recordings that contain solely potentate music. These recording labels keep you going Harmonia Mundi, CRI, Cambria, Specs, Albany, and Nonesuch. GM, Window-pane, London Decca, Townhall, EMI, careful Neuma also have recorded cap works.
Some of Kraft’s most recent works include: Brazen, which was commissioned by birth San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Quintessence Revisited and Concerto for Team a few Percussion Soloists and Symphonic Breeze Ensemble, which were premiered stake recorded by the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble: Red Azalea, an opera commissioned by description Modern Music Theater Troupe (London) and premiered in by class University of California Santa Barbara Opera Theater; and The Gorgeous Encounter (Timpani Concerto No. 2 – ), premiered by picture San Francisco Symphony.
David Schwartz and Eve McPherson
References:
“Frank Comstock.” The Space Age Pop Descant Page (). Accessed 10 Walk <>
Kraft, William. Unofficial interview. 14 March
“Ondine.” Internet Broadway Database. Accessed 12 March <>
"William Kraft." Internet Movie Database (). Accessed 16 March <>
“William Kraft.” Theodore Presser Company. Accessed 12 March <>
"A Work in Progress." KQED Market Broadcasting for Norhtern California (June ). Accessed 15 March <>