Alex Jacobowitz
Biographical Info
“[img align=right]https://www.marimba.org/review/74321913002.JPG[/img] Alex Jacobowitz was born in New York in 1960, and studied with Gordon Stout, L.H. Stevens and John Beck. He currently resides in Europe, where he performs marimba solo, primarily works of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.
In recent years, Alex Jacobowitz has played solo on German, Swiss, Israeli and Portuguese and Hungarian television and radio, and sold 50,000 recordings throughout Europe. His newest CD, “”The Art of Xylos”” (Arte Nova, BMG distribution) is a collection of highest-quality transcriptions, and is to be released worldwide on February 4, 2002. Although in 2001 he has performed the solo part to Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with orchestra, he prefers to play unaccompanied.
His book,””A Classical Klezmer: Travel Stories of a Jewish Musician”” (1998) sold out its first edition and is now in preparation for the second edition.
1981 – Won the Drum Corps International Competition for Solo Keyboard in Montreal, then premiered Edith Borroff’s Concerto for Marimba and Small Orchestra.
In 1982-3, he played percussion with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, then decided to abandon percussion for solo marimba.
1984 – Two solo concerts at Lincoln Center
1986-91 – Official Street Performer at the South Street Seaport in New York City.
1991- 2001 Street performances & TV, radio broadcasts throughout Europe and Israel.
1998 – Autobiography published in German (A Classical Klezmer), 50,000 recordings sold
2001 – Performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez with orchestra, Record contract with Arte Nova, a classical label within BMG
(Added 1999.2.6, Modified 2002.2.16)”