Lukas Foss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lukas Foss
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Foss in 1960
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| Born |
Lukas Fuchs
August 15, 1922 |
| Died | February 1, 2009 (aged 86) New York City, U.S.
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| Nationality | German-American |
| Alma mater | Curtis Institute of Music |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse(s) |
Cornelia Brendel
(m. 1951) |
| Children | 2 |
Lukas Foss (born August 15, 1922 – died February 1, 2009) was a talented musician. He was a German-American composer, a pianist, and a conductor. This means he wrote music, played the piano, and led orchestras.
Contents
Lukas Foss: A Musical Genius
Early Life and Education
Lukas Foss was born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany, in 1922. From a very young age, people noticed he was a child prodigy. This means he had amazing musical talent even when he was a kid. He started learning piano and music theory at age six. His parents were Hilde (Schindler) and Martin Foss, a philosopher.
In 1933, his family moved to Paris, France. There, he continued his music studies. He learned piano from Lazare Lévy, composition from Noël Gallon, and how to arrange music for orchestras from Felix Wolfes. He also learned to play the flute from Marcel Moyse.
In 1937, Lukas and his family moved to the United States. His father changed their family name to Foss. Lukas then studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He learned piano, composition, and conducting from famous teachers like Isabelle Vengerova, Rosario Scalero, and Fritz Reiner.
A Career in Music
At the Curtis Institute, Lukas Foss became great friends with Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein was another famous composer and conductor. He once called Foss an "authentic genius." In 1961, Bernstein conducted the first performance of Foss's piece called Time Cycle. Later, Foss conducted the first performance of Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
Foss also studied with Serge Koussevitzky and Paul Hindemith, who were important music figures. He became an American citizen in 1942.
In 1953, Foss became a music professor at UCLA. He took over from the famous composer Arnold Schoenberg. While at UCLA, Foss started a group called the Improvisation Chamber Ensemble. This group explored new ways of making music on the spot.
Later, in 1963, he founded the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo. This center was a place for artists to create and perform new works.
Lukas Foss was also a conductor for many years. He was the music director of the Ojai Music Festival several times between 1961 and 1987. From 1963 to 1970, he led the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. He then became the music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic from 1971 to 1988. From 1981 to 1986, he conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
In 1991, he became a professor at Boston University. He taught music, theory, and composition. Many students learned from him, including Faye-Ellen Silverman and Claire Polin. In 2000, he received a special award, a Gold Medal, from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
His Family and Legacy
In 1951, Lukas Foss married Cornelia Brendel. She was an artist and painter. They had two children: Christopher Brendel Foss and Eliza Foss Topol. Christopher became a documentary filmmaker, and Eliza became an actress.
Lukas Foss had Parkinson's disease in his later years. He passed away at his home in Manhattan on February 1, 2009, at the age of 86. He died from a heart attack. Lukas Foss left behind a great legacy of music and inspired many musicians.
See also
In Spanish: Lukas Foss para niños
