Menachem Avidom

Menachem Avidom (1908–1995) was an Israeli composer, born in Stanislaviv, Austria-Hungary on January 6, 1908. This put him in Poland after World War I. He emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1925 and, soon after, went to study at the American University of Beirut (from 1926 to 1928). After further studies at the Paris Conservatory (from 1928 to 1931) with Henri Rabaud, he moved to Tel Aviv, where he taught music theory. From 1945 through 1952, he served as general secretary of the Israeli Philharmonic. In 1955, he was named director of the Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel (ACUM); a post he remained in for twenty five years. He was also chair of the Israel Composer's League from 1958 through 1971. He died in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 5, 1995. In 1961, Avidom was awarded the Israel Prize for music, in recognition of his opera Alexandra ha'Hashmonait.