Greg Sandow
Encyclopedia
Greg Sandow is an American
music critic and composer
. He is a graduate of Harvard University
, with a bachelor's degree in government, and of Yale University
, with a master's degree in composition.
For many years, Sandow was best known as a critic, both of classical music and pop. As a critic, Sandow wrote for The Village Voice
in the 1980s. His column was on new classical music, though he also wrote about the mainstream repertory, typically challenging traditional assumptions about its function and its meaning. In recent years his writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Opera News
, and the Wall Street Journal, where for a long time he was a regular contributor. In pop music, he became chief pop critic of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
in 1988, and in 1990 joined the staff of Entertainment Weekly
, which had just begun publication, and where he served first as music critic and then as senior music editor.
During his years as a critic, Sandow abandoned composition, but later resumed it. His works include four operas, one based on Frankenstein, music from which he incorporated into an orchestra piece, A Frankenstein Overture, which has been performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony and the South Dakota Symphony. Others who have performed his work include the Fine Arts Quartet
, the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, and the pianist Jenny Lin
.
Sandow has made public appearances throughout the United States and also abroad, and has also done consulting work and other special projects with classical music institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic
. Since 1997 he has taught at the Juilliard School
as a member of the Graduate Studies Faculty, and from 2006 to 2009 also taught at the Eastman School of Music
, where he gave the commencement address in 2008. He blogs about the future of classical music on the ArtsJournal.com website.
Sandow has also extensively written and researched unidentified flying object
s, notably for the International UFO Reporter, a quarterly publication of the Center for UFO Studies
.
Sandow is married to Anne Midgette
, herself a former classical music reviewer for the New York Times, and now chief classical music critic for the Washington Post. Sandow dedicated his "Quartet for Anne" to his wife. They live in Washington, D.C.
, and Warwick
, New York
. They have one child, Rafael Aron Sandow, born October 15, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music critic and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is a graduate of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, with a bachelor's degree in government, and of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, with a master's degree in composition.
For many years, Sandow was best known as a critic, both of classical music and pop. As a critic, Sandow wrote for The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
in the 1980s. His column was on new classical music, though he also wrote about the mainstream repertory, typically challenging traditional assumptions about its function and its meaning. In recent years his writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
, and the Wall Street Journal, where for a long time he was a regular contributor. In pop music, he became chief pop critic of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
The Los Angeles Herald Examiner was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published Monday through Friday in the afternoon, and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. The afternoon Herald-Express and the morning Examiner, both of which had been publishing in...
in 1988, and in 1990 joined the staff of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, which had just begun publication, and where he served first as music critic and then as senior music editor.
During his years as a critic, Sandow abandoned composition, but later resumed it. His works include four operas, one based on Frankenstein, music from which he incorporated into an orchestra piece, A Frankenstein Overture, which has been performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony and the South Dakota Symphony. Others who have performed his work include the Fine Arts Quartet
Fine Arts Quartet
The Fine Arts Quartet, a distinguished chamber music ensemble founded in Chicago, USA in 1946 by Leonard Sorkin and George Sopkin, has an illustrious history of performing success and an extensive recording legacy. It is one of the few to have recorded and toured internationally for over half a...
, the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, and the pianist Jenny Lin
Jenny Lin
- Life :Born in Taiwan, Jenny Lin began her piano studies at the age of 4. At age 10, she was accepted into the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria, in the studio of Noel Flores. At age 14, she immigrated to the United States, studying with Julian Martin at the Peabody Conservatory in...
.
Sandow has made public appearances throughout the United States and also abroad, and has also done consulting work and other special projects with classical music institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
. Since 1997 he has taught at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
as a member of the Graduate Studies Faculty, and from 2006 to 2009 also taught at the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, where he gave the commencement address in 2008. He blogs about the future of classical music on the ArtsJournal.com website.
Sandow has also extensively written and researched unidentified flying object
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
s, notably for the International UFO Reporter, a quarterly publication of the Center for UFO Studies
Center for UFO Studies
The Center for UFO Studies is a privately-funded UFO research group. It was founded in 1973 by Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the Chairman of the Department of Astronomy at Northwestern University in Illinois....
.
Sandow is married to Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette is an American journalist and classical music critic. Her father was the painter Willard Midgette.Midgette is a 1986 graduate of Yale University. After university, she lived for 11 years in Munich, Germany, reviewing opera, music and art throughout Europe for The Wall Street...
, herself a former classical music reviewer for the New York Times, and now chief classical music critic for the Washington Post. Sandow dedicated his "Quartet for Anne" to his wife. They live in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They have one child, Rafael Aron Sandow, born October 15, 2011.