Gershon Kingsley

From Wind Repertory Project
Gershon Kingsley

Biography

Gershon Gary Kingsley (b. 28 October 1925, Bochum, West Germany) is a German-American composer.

Kingsley became a member of a Zionist youth movement and at the age of 15 left Germany in 1938, a few days before Kristallnacht and joined kibbutz Ein Harod, Israel, while his parents stayed behind at that time. At the kibbutz he taught himself to play the piano. He joined the Hagana Jewish Settlement Police (Notrim) and also played jazz in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. He studied at the Jerusalem conservatory of music. His parents and brother had escaped to Cuba from where, eventually, they succeeded in obtaining visas for the United States, where Kingsley met up with them eight years later.

Kingsley studied at the Los Angeles Conservatory, the Juilliard School of Music, and Columbia University. He was a conductor of several Broadway shows, arranged electronic music, and founded the Moog Quartet, an electronic music performing group. He also composed sacred music and directed several German television shows. His Popcorn, an instrumental piece, became very popular in its day.

Kingsley was a partner in the electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and writer of rock-inspired compositions for Jewish religious ceremonies.


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