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Biography
Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz began her musical career as a singer, graduating from Brooklyn College, City University of New York with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music.
Under her professional name Gladys Young she toured the United States, Europe, and Israel, as a folk singer-instrumentalist, accompanying herself on guitar, auto-harp, 300-year old lyre, and Arab drum.
As a composer Ms Moskowitz has written music which glorifies the human voice, using classical, folk, and jazz elements to create beautiful "drama in music." She has also written the libretto for two chamber operas and a two-act music drama. Her satirical chamber opera, "Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling" (based on the children's story) was premiered by the Bluegrass Opera and Orchestra in Lexington, Kentucky. "The Fountain of Youth," a Chamber Opera (based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment") received a grant for a workshop performance and was also awarded a special commendation by the Nancy Van de Vate International Opera Competition for Women. "The Masque of the Red Death," a Renaissance-style Music Drama in two acts, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe received a premiere Halloween performance by the Suliivan County Dramatic Workshop, South Fallsburg, New York. Arias from her operas have been performed in New York City, and at concerts with the Delaware Valley Chamber Orchestra.
The composer's dramatic settings of Art Songs for voice and piano by American poets have been performed in New York City, at universities, and in Europe. Her poignant setting of the anti-war poem "Grass" by Carl Sandburg was sung by the Belgium soprano Francoise Vanhecke in New York City and at concerts throughout Europe. "Three Love Songs" on poems by Sara Teasdale, for soprano and piano were sung by Siri Howard at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall , NYC.
Among her later compositions "Three Songs of Passion" for soprano, flute, cello and piano captures emotions the poet experiences in her love affair, from the joy of "Life Sentence," to the sensual pleasure of "Utopia,"ending with the death of her beloved in "Manic Screaming."
There are no productions for this artist in the Season Schedule of Performances which currently only dates back to 1991.
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Artist Information
All information is derived from OPERA America's Season Schedule of Performances and titles databases which date back to 1991. OPERA America is constantly updating this data. If you feel that a work or an artist has been omitted or that information is incorrect, please use the linked forms below. Title Information Form Artist Information Form
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