Anis Fuleihan (Composer, Arranger)

Born: April 2, 1900 - Kyrenia, Cyprus
Died: October 11, 1970 - Palo Alto, California, USA

The Cypriot-born American pianist, conductor, and composer, Anis Fuleihan [Anīs Fulaihān] studied at the English School in Kyrenia. He went to the USA in 1915 and continued his study of the piano in New York with Alberto Jonas. He was principally a self-taught composer. He became an American citizen in 1925.

Anis Fuleihan toured the USA, also the Middle East, from 1919 to 1925, and lived for awhile in Cairo. Returning to the USA in 1928, he was a radio conductor and began composing ballet music for various contemporary groups in New York. From 1932 to 1939 he was on the staff of G. Schirmer, Inc. in New York. In 1945, he became professor at Indiana University in Bloomington; in 1953, director of the Beirut Conservatory in Lebanon. In 1962 he went to Tunis under the auspices of the State Depatment. In 1963 he organised the Orchestra Classique de Tunis, and remained there until 1965.

Attracting the attention of Eugène Goossens, who premiered his Mediterranean Suite, Anis Fuleihan won a Guggenheim Fellowship. Many commissions followed along with his teaching positions in Beirut, Egypt and Tunis. Never a serialist, he was heavily influenced by Middle Eastern folk music. Fuleihan's Theremin Concerto was premiered by the formidable Clara Rockmore with Leopold Stokowski and the New York City Symphony Orchestra in 1945. In his dissertation Tom Rhea refers to the work as "Concerto for Etherphone and Orchestra."

Works

Opera:
Vasco (1960)

Orchestral:
Mediterranean Suite (1930; Cincinnati, March 1935)
Preface to a Child's Story Book (1932)
2 symphonies: No. 1 (New York, December 1936) and No. 2 (New York, February 1967)
3 piano concertos: No. 1 (Saratoga Springs, New York, September 1937), No. 2 (1938), and No. 3 (1963)
Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra (1938)
3 violin concertos (1930, 1965, 1967)
Fiesta (Indianapolis, December 1939)
Sympbonie concertante for String Quartet and Orchestra (New York, April 1940)
Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra (Hempstead, New York, January 1941)
Epitbalamium for Piano and Strings (Philadelphia, February 1941)
Concerto for Theremin and Orchestra (New York, February 1945)
Invocation to Isis (Indianapolis, February 1941)
Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra (1943)
Ondes Martenot Concerto (1944)
3 Cyprus Serenades (Philadelphia, December 1946)
Rhapsody for Cello and Strings (Saratoga Springs, September 1946)
The Pyramids of Giza, symphonic poem (1952)
Toccata for Piano and Orchestra (1960)
Islands, symphonic suite (1961)
Flute Concerto (1962)
Cello Concerto (1963)
Viola Concerto (1963)
Le Cor anglais s'amuse for English Horn and Strings (1969)

Chamber:
5 string quartets (1940-1967)
14 piano sonatas (1940-1968)
Overture for 5 Winds (New York, May 17, 1947)
Horn Quintet (1959)
Piano Quintet (1967)
Piano Trio (1969)
Clarinet Quintet
Violin Sonata
Viola Sonata
Cello Sonata

Vocal:
Choral pieces
Songs

Publishing Houses:
New York: G. Schirmer; New York: Southern Music Pub. Co.; Los Angeles: Delkas Music Pub. Co.; New York: Boosey & Hawkes; New York: Carl Fischer, Inc.; Boston: Boston Music Co.; New York: Leeds Music Corp.; New York: Affiliated Music Corp.; New York: Peermusic Classical; etc.

Source: Theremin Vox Website; Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Teddy Kaufman (May 2007), Aryeh Oron (June 2007, October 2010)

Anis Fuleihan: Short Biography | Piano Transcriptions: Works | Recordings

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Bibliography