B i o g r a p h y
B i o g r a p h y
B i o g r a p h y
Joshua R. Jacobson holds a Bachelors degree in Music from Harvard College, a Masters in Choral Conducting from the New England Conservatory, a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Hebrew College. Before retiring in 2018, Dr. Jacobson served 45 years as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, including nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is also Visiting Professor and Senior Consultant in the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He is also the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble, specializing in Hebrew music. He has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, and has guest conducted a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. He has also written articles on various aspects of choral music, and over one hundred published compositions and arrangements. In 1989 he spent four weeks in Yugoslavia as a Distinguished Professor under the auspices of the Fulbright program. In 1994 Hebrew College awarded him the Benjamin Shevach Award for Distinguished Achievement in Jewish Educational Leadership, in 2004 the Cantors Assembly presented him with its prestigious “Kavod Award,” in 2016 Choral Arts New England presented him the Alfred Nash Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018 Chorus America selected him for its Distinguished Service Award. Prof. Jacobson is past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He is the conductor and host of the PBS film, Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland. His book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. He is co-author of Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire—Volume IV: Hebrew Texts, published by earthsongs in 2009.
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Prof. Jacobson’s articles have appeared in The Choral Journal, the American Choral Review, The Journal of Synagogue Music, Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Encyclopedia Judaica, Studies in Jewish Civilization, Yale University Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium, The Musical Quarterly, and others. His compositions, arrangements and editions have been performed by ACDA honors choirs, by the Boston Pops and Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and by the St. Olaf College Choirs, among others. His music is published by Transcontinental, ECS, Broude Brothers and Earthsongs. He has guest lectured at Harvard, Brandeis, Yale, and many other schools. In addition to his specialization in Jewish music, he has conducted many of the standard choral-orchestral masterworks, including Bach’s Johannespassion, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Poulenc’s Gloria, Schubert’s Mass in E-flat, Thompson’s A Peaceable Kingdom. He has also prepared Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for Daniel Barenboim and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler's Second Symphony for Zubin Mehta and the I. P. O., Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms for Gary Bertini and the Jerusalem Symphony, Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw for Piero Bellugi and the New England Conservatory Orchestra. In 2011 Jacobson launched "Middle Eastern Harmonies," a program bringing together on stage Jewish and Arab music and musicians. He has performed the program for diverse audiences throughout New England.
Here are excerpts from some press reviews. Richard Dyer wrote in the Boston Globe (June11, 2002) “Jacobson has a gift for programming that is instructive and entertaining, and more often than not, the Zamir Chorale performs works that music lovers would be unlikely to hear anyplace else.” Philip Greenfield in the American Record Guide (March/April, 2002), “The Zamir Chorale of Boston has become America’s foremost Jewish choral ensemble.” Kevin Gabriel in The Worcester Telegram and Gazette (March 25, 1996), “Jacobson led polished performances that emphasized clarity and balance. And the chorale’s professionalism was everywhere evident, particlularly in its unflagging attention to detail.”
Joshua R. Jacobson holds a Bachelors degree in Music from Harvard College, a Masters in Choral Conducting from the New England Conservatory, a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Hebrew College. Before retiring in 2018, Dr. Jacobson served 45 years as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, including nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is also Visiting Professor and Senior Consultant in the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He is also the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble, specializing in Hebrew music. He has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, and has guest conducted a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. He has also written articles on various aspects of choral music, and over one hundred published compositions and arrangements. In 1989 he spent four weeks in Yugoslavia as a Distinguished Professor under the auspices of the Fulbright program. In 1994 Hebrew College awarded him the Benjamin Shevach Award for Distinguished Achievement in Jewish Educational Leadership, in 2004 the Cantors Assembly presented him with its prestigious “Kavod Award,” in 2016 Choral Arts New England presented him the Alfred Nash Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018 Chorus America selected him for its Distinguished Service Award. Prof. Jacobson is past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He is the conductor and host of the PBS film, Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland. His book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. He is co-author of Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire—Volume IV: Hebrew Texts, published by earthsongs in 2009.
​
Prof. Jacobson’s articles have appeared in The Choral Journal, the American Choral Review, The Journal of Synagogue Music, Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Encyclopedia Judaica, Studies in Jewish Civilization, Yale University Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium, The Musical Quarterly, and others. His compositions, arrangements and editions have been performed by ACDA honors choirs, by the Boston Pops and Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and by the St. Olaf College Choirs, among others. His music is published by Transcontinental, ECS, Broude Brothers and Earthsongs. He has guest lectured at Harvard, Brandeis, Yale, and many other schools. In addition to his specialization in Jewish music, he has conducted many of the standard choral-orchestral masterworks, including Bach’s Johannespassion, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Poulenc’s Gloria, Schubert’s Mass in E-flat, Thompson’s A Peaceable Kingdom. He has also prepared Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for Daniel Barenboim and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler's Second Symphony for Zubin Mehta and the I. P. O., Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms for Gary Bertini and the Jerusalem Symphony, Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw for Piero Bellugi and the New England Conservatory Orchestra. In 2011 Jacobson launched "Middle Eastern Harmonies," a program bringing together on stage Jewish and Arab music and musicians. He has performed the program for diverse audiences throughout New England.
Here are excerpts from some press reviews. Richard Dyer wrote in the Boston Globe (June11, 2002) “Jacobson has a gift for programming that is instructive and entertaining, and more often than not, the Zamir Chorale performs works that music lovers would be unlikely to hear anyplace else.” Philip Greenfield in the American Record Guide (March/April, 2002), “The Zamir Chorale of Boston has become America’s foremost Jewish choral ensemble.” Kevin Gabriel in The Worcester Telegram and Gazette (March 25, 1996), “Jacobson led polished performances that emphasized clarity and balance. And the chorale’s professionalism was everywhere evident, particlularly in its unflagging attention to detail.”
Joshua R. Jacobson holds a Bachelors degree in Music from Harvard College, a Masters in Choral Conducting from the New England Conservatory, a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Hebrew College. Before retiring in 2018, Dr. Jacobson served 45 years as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, including nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is also Visiting Professor and Senior Consultant in the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He is also the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble, specializing in Hebrew music. He has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, and has guest conducted a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. He has also written articles on various aspects of choral music, and over one hundred published compositions and arrangements. In 1989 he spent four weeks in Yugoslavia as a Distinguished Professor under the auspices of the Fulbright program. In 1994 Hebrew College awarded him the Benjamin Shevach Award for Distinguished Achievement in Jewish Educational Leadership, in 2004 the Cantors Assembly presented him with its prestigious “Kavod Award,” in 2016 Choral Arts New England presented him the Alfred Nash Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018 Chorus America selected him for its Distinguished Service Award. Prof. Jacobson is past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He is the conductor and host of the PBS film, Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland. His book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. He is co-author of Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire—Volume IV: Hebrew Texts, published by earthsongs in 2009.
​
Prof. Jacobson’s articles have appeared in The Choral Journal, the American Choral Review, The Journal of Synagogue Music, Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Encyclopedia Judaica, Studies in Jewish Civilization, Yale University Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium, The Musical Quarterly, and others. His compositions, arrangements and editions have been performed by ACDA honors choirs, by the Boston Pops and Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and by the St. Olaf College Choirs, among others. His music is published by Transcontinental, ECS, Broude Brothers and Earthsongs. He has guest lectured at Harvard, Brandeis, Yale, and many other schools. In addition to his specialization in Jewish music, he has conducted many of the standard choral-orchestral masterworks, including Bach’s Johannespassion, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Poulenc’s Gloria, Schubert’s Mass in E-flat, Thompson’s A Peaceable Kingdom. He has also prepared Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for Daniel Barenboim and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler's Second Symphony for Zubin Mehta and the I. P. O., Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms for Gary Bertini and the Jerusalem Symphony, Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw for Piero Bellugi and the New England Conservatory Orchestra. In 2011 Jacobson launched "Middle Eastern Harmonies," a program bringing together on stage Jewish and Arab music and musicians. He has performed the program for diverse audiences throughout New England.
Here are excerpts from some press reviews. Richard Dyer wrote in the Boston Globe (June11, 2002) “Jacobson has a gift for programming that is instructive and entertaining, and more often than not, the Zamir Chorale performs works that music lovers would be unlikely to hear anyplace else.” Philip Greenfield in the American Record Guide (March/April, 2002), “The Zamir Chorale of Boston has become America’s foremost Jewish choral ensemble.” Kevin Gabriel in The Worcester Telegram and Gazette (March 25, 1996), “Jacobson led polished performances that emphasized clarity and balance. And the chorale’s professionalism was everywhere evident, particlularly in its unflagging attention to detail.”
JOSHUA JACOBSON
ARTICLES
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“Jewish Music vs. Jewish Worship,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, February, 1977. (download)
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“A Guide to Choral Repertoire in Hebrew,” The Choral Journal, October, 1979. (download)
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“Spazziam, a balletto by Salamone Rossi,” The American Choral Review, October, 1980. (download)
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“Before the Concert,” The Choral Journal, March, 1981. (download) (or download)
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“Robert Starer. Psalms of Woe and Joy, “ (a review) Musica Judaica, Fall, 1983.
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“Choral Music of the Eastern Mediterranean School,” D.M.A. thesis, University of Cincinnati, 1984. (download)
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“Some Preliminary Notes on a Study of the Jewish Choral Movement,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, December, 1986. (download)
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“Debussy’s Trois Chansons,” The Choral Journal, April, 1988. (download)
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"The Choral Music of Salamone Rossi," The American Choral Review, October, 1988 (monograph). (download)
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“A Possible Influence of the Traditional Chant on a Synagogue Motet by Salamone Rossi,” Musical Judaica, Winter, 1989. (download)
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"Choral Music for Chanukah," The Choral Journal, September, 1990. (download)
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“The Oldest Jewish Choir,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, December, 1990. (download)
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“Ta’amey HaMikra: A Closer Look,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, Fall, 1992. (download)
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“East Meets West: The Eastern Mediterranean School of Choral Composition,” The Choral Journal, May, 1993. (download)
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“On the Trail of Beauty and Grace: Some Thoughts on Standards,” The Choral Journal, September, 1994. (download)
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“The Cantillation of the Decalogue,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, Spring, 1995. (download)
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“Music in the Holocaust,” The Choral Journal, December, 1995. (download)
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“Jewish Music in the Curriculum,” Association for Jewish Studies Newsletter, Fall, 1995.
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“Franz Schubert and the Vienna Synagogue.” The Choral Journal, August, 1997. (download)
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“What is Jewish Liturgical Music?” The Choral Journal, September, 1997. (download)
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“We Hung up Our Harps: Rabbinic Restrictions on Music,” The Journal of Synagogue Music, 25:2 (April, 1998), pp. 33-53. (download)
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“Jewish Choral Music in America,” The International Choral Bulletin, 17:4 (July, 1998), pp. 9-11.
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“Sacred Bridges,” The Choral Journal, October, 2000. (download)
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“Musing about Jewish Music,” The Choral Journal, 41:8 (March, 2001), pp. 35-36. (download)
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“Tsen Brider: A Jewish Requiem.” The Musical Quarterly 84:3 pp. 452-474. (download)
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“What Is Jewish Music?” The Orff Echo 33:3 (Spring, 2001), pp. 24-26. (download)
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“Explorations in Jewish Music.” Religious Studies News/Spotlight on Teaching. 16/2 (Spring, 2001), pp. 7, 12.
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“Women in Jewish Music.” The Journal of Synagogue Music. Winter, 2001 (vol. 28, no. 1). pp. 52-62. (download)
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“The Synagogue Choir.” CCAR Journal. Winter, 2002. 57-68.
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“Ellen Koskoff’s Music in Lubavicher Life” (a review). Shofar 21:1 (Fall, 2002)160-162.
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“Don Harran’s Salamone Rossi: A Jewish Musician in Late Renaissance Mantua.” (a review) AJS Review (The Journal of the Association for Jewish Studies) 26/1 (April, 2002) 152-155. (download)
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“Arnold Schoenberg and Ahad Ha’Am.” The Journal of Synagogue Music 29:1 (Summer/Falll, 2003) 31-40. (download)
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“Music of the Holocaust.” In Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity (Editor in Chief: Dinah L. Shelton) Detroit: Macmillan (Thomson Gale), 2004, pp. 717-719.
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“Victor Tunkel’s Music of the Hebrew Bible—The Western Ashkenazic Tradition.” (a review) The Journal of Synagogue Music 31:1 (Falll, 2006) 233-235.
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“Sholom Kalib’s The Musical Tradition of the Eastern European Synagogue” (a review). CCAR Journal (Fall, 2007).
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“Choir.” In Encyclopedia Judaica (second edition) Detroit: Macmillan (Thomson Gale), 2006.
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“Approaches to Teaching Sacred Music in a Secular Context” (co-authored with Robert Eaton, Catherine Connor-Moran, Anthony Leach and Thomas Lloyd). The Choral Journal 47:9 (March, 2007) 41-48. (download)
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“The Collection of Abraham Zvi Idelsohn.” (a review) Yearbook for Traditional Music 39 (2007) pp.
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“Jewish Music: What’s That?” in Studies in Jewish Civilization 19: “I Will Sing and Make Music”: Jewish Music and Musicians Throughout the Ages. Edited by Leonard J. Greenspoon, Ronald A. Simkins, and Jean Cahan. Omaha: Creighton University Press (2008). Distributed by University of Nebraska Press. Pp. 1-10. (download)
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“Contrafaction” The Journal of Synagogue Music. Fall, 2010 (Volume 35), pp. 211-228. (download)
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“The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture” (a review). Shofar Vol. 28, No. 3 (Spring, 2010), pp. 180-182.
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“Defending Salamone Rossi: The Transformation and Justification of Jewish Music in Renaissance Italy” in Yale University Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium: Music, Worship, Arts Vol. 5 (Autumn, 2008) (issued April, 2010), pp. 85-92. (download)
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“Universalism and Particularism in Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service” The Choral Journal. November, 2009, pp. 20-32. (download)
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“Perspectives on Jewish Music” (a review). Shofar Vol. 29, No. 3 (Spring, 2011).
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“Biblical accents/cantillation (masoretic). (ii) relation to syntax” in Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Edited by Geoffrey Khan, Leiden: Brill, 2013. (download)
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“Biblical accents/cantillation (modern reading traditions, musical contours)” in Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. Edited by Geoffrey Khan, Leiden: Brill, 2013. (download)
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“The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture” (a review). Early Music America, Winter, 2011.
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“Solo Vocal Works on Jewish Themes: A Bibliography of Jewish Composers By Kenneth Jaffe” (a review) Musica Judaica (Volume XIX) 2009-2010, pp. 328-331.
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"Jewish Music in the Italian Renaissance." The Journal of Synagogue Music, vol. 38 (Fall, 2013) 105-108. (download)
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"Art Music and Jewish Culture before the Jewish Enlightenment: Negotiating Identities in Late Renaissance Italy." In The Cambridge Companion to Jewish Music. 2016.
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"The Cantillation of the Psalms." The Journal of Synagogue Music, 39:1 (March, 2014) pp. 17-34. (download)
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"Macabee Songs and the Zionist Agenda." In Jascha Nemtsov (ed.), Jüdische Musik als Dialog der Kulturen / Jewish Music as a Dialogue of Cultures, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2013. (download)
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"Music of the Jewish People." The Choral Journal, 55:2 (September, 2014) 67-69. (download)
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"Holocaust Music" in Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its reception. DeGruyter, Berlin-Boston. March, 2016.
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"Sometimes Munah-Pasek is Just Munah-Pasek." The Journal of Synagogue Music. 42:1 (March, 2017), pp. 63-67. (download)
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"Decoding the Secrets of the Psalms." The Choral Journal, 56:7 (February, 2016) 20-31. (download)
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"Singing a New Song." AJS (Association for Jewish Studies) Perspectives, Spring, 2016, 28-29. (download)
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"Louis Lewandowski." Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception, Fall, 2017 (download)
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"The Musical Tradition of the Eastern European Synagogue: Volume Three A: The Sabbath Eve Service by Sholom Kalib. " (a review) The Journal of Synagogue Music, Vol. 43, pp. 115-118 (September, 2018) (download)
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"A Cappella in the Synagogue" (Introductory Essay) in Ilu Finu: A Cappella for Jewish Prayer, edited by Matthew Austerklein. The Cantors Assembly, 2019.
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"Great Synagogue Choral Classics You’ve Never Heard of (But You Really Should Have)" The Choral Journal (December, 2019, pp. 20-36) (download)
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"Participation in Tension with Performance: Choirs and Cantors and Congregational Singing ." Journal of Synagogue Music, 2020 (download)
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"Word Play in the Hebrew Bible." Journal of Synagogue Music, 2021 (download)
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"Editing Rossi" (self-published) (download)
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"Singing in Hebrew." The Choral Journal 62/3 (October, 2021), pp. 59-62 (download)
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"Camp Yavneh -- Jewish Camping and My Musical Journey." unpublished. download
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"Counting the Ten Commandments" unpublished revision of earlier article. download
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Book Review: New Perspectives on Music and Jewish Culture in Italy. In Early Music America, Spring 2022. download
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"Chanting the Book of Eycha." My Jewish Learning.com. Winter, 2022. link
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“Salamone Rossi’s Synagogue Motets: The 400th Anniversary.” The Choral Journal, 63:2 (September, 2022): 9-23. (download)
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"Lift Every Voice" (part 1) The Choral Journal, September, 2023 (download)
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"Lift Every Voice" (part 2) The Choral Journal, October, 2023 (download)