JEFFREY JACOB (photo: in rehearsal with the London Symphony)
Described by the Warsaw Music Journal as “unquestionably one of the
greatest performers of 20th-century music,” and the New York Times as “an artist of intense concentration and conviction.” Jeffrey Jacob received his education from the Juilliard School (Master of Music) and the Peabody
Conservatory (Doctorate), and counts as his principal teachers,
Mieczyslaw Munz, Carlo Zecchi, and Leon Fleisher. Since his debut with
the London Philharmonic in Royal Festival Hall, London, he has appeared
with over 20 orchestras internationally including the London, Moscow, St.
Petersburg, Indianapolis, Seattle, Portland, Charleston, Sao Paulo, and
Brazil National Symphonies, the Silesian, Moravian, North Czech, and
Royal Queenstown Philharmonics. A noted proponent of contemporary music, he has performed the world premieres of works written for him by George Crumb, Vincent Persichetti, Gunther Schuller, Samuel Adler, Roger Briggs, Francis Routh, and many others.
As a composer, he has written three symphonies, three piano concertos, and numerous works for piano and chamber ensemble. Raymond Leppard and the Indianapolis Symphony premiered his SYMPHONY: WINTERLIGHTNING. The PIANO CONCERTOS 1 and 2 were premiered respectively by the Moscow and St. Petersburg Symphonies with the composer as soloist. The Cleveland Chamber Symphony conducted by Edwin London premiered and recorded his PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY which was chosen by the Charles Ives Center for American Music for a performance by the Charleston Symphony at the 2002 Spoleto Festival. The Chamber Orchestra of the Rhein premiered and recorded Mr. Jacob’s DE PROFUNDIS, and the Orquesta de Baja California premiered his SYMPHONY No. 2. Other premiere performances have featured the Gregg Smith Singers, the North Czech Philharmonic, the Cavani Quartet, and sopranos Mary Nessinger, and Laurel Thomas. Future premieres include major works for the Portland Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber orchestra.
Mr. Jacob has recorded over 70 works for solo piano and piano and
orchestra including his critically acclaimed series of CD’s of the
complete piano music of George Crumb and Samuel Barber and major works of Bela Bartok. Fanfare Magazine recently devoted a feature article to his series of eight CD’s for New Ariel Recordings entitled,
“Contemporary American Eclectic Music for the Piano.” He was recently named Artist of the Year by the International New Music Consortium at New York University for his work as composer, pianist, and educator. He is currently Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Music at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana.