Michael Rosenzweig was born in Cape Town in 1951, and is a noted composer and Principal Guest Conductor of the Vidin State Philharmonic in Bulgaria.
Michael has established himself over thirty years as a composer of note having won many major prizes and awards, the highest being the DAAD Berliner Kunstler Fellowship in 1990, an award given to composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Roger Sessions, Elliott Carter, Krzysztof Penderecki, Luigi Dallapiccola, Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Alberto Ginastera and others. He has over twenty successfully performed works, fifteen commissions and four that have won important awards.
Commissioners include the London Sinfonietta, the Arditti Quartet, Divertimenti String Orchestra and BBC Radio 3. Performers include the RLPO, Arditti Quartet, London Sinfonietta and State Philharmonic of Iasi.
While in Berlin, he was the Assistant Musical Director at the Berliner Konzert-chor and the Musical Director of the Youth choir, whose Philharmonie debut he conducted. Here he conducted the Blacher Ensemble, the new music ensemble from the Berlin Hochschule der Kunste in their international venue debut,as well as other orchestras and ensembles in major venues and festivals, performing both standard repertoire and contemporary music, including several premieres.
His awards for composition include the GLA Young Composer of the Year twice, a Gaudeamus selection, and the Vaughan Williams Trust Orchestral Competition.
In the UK he has conducted the English Chamber Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia featuring Gervase de Peyer as soloist, London Strings (at St James’s Piccadilly) with Yonty Solomon, and Buckingham and District Music Society as well as performances of contemporary works by several composers.
In Central and Eastern Europe he has conducted the Moravian Philharmonic, the Slovak State Philharmonic, Philharmonia Sudecka in Walbrzych, Poland, the State Philharmonic of Iasi and Vidin State Philharmonic among others. He has also conducted the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra. Included have been performances, premieres and recordings of a wide range of both standard repertoire and contemporary music.
He conducted the European premiere of Gervase de Peyer’s new realization of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and has also worked with Neil Black as soloist.
Recent concerts have included Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, Brahms’ Symphonies No. 1 and 2, Dvorak’s Symphonies No. 8 and 9, Beethoven Symphonies No.2, 3, 4 and 7, Schubert’s Symphonies No. 5 and 8, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 and Mozart’s Symphonies No. 40 and 41. Concertos accompanied include the European premiere of Gervase de Peyer’s new realization of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and several Mozart and Bach concertos. Name soloists he has accompanied include Gervase de Peyer, Neil Black and Yonty Solomon.
Michael Rosenzweig’s first concert conducting the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra was in September 2003. He has conducted 16 concerts of varied repertoire with them, including premieres. He was also invited to conduct their 2006 Christmas concert. .He was named Principal Guest Conductor by them in June 2008.
He also plays world music and for several years played in Dr Imdad Husain's ensemble performing Pakistani folk music fused with Western idioms playing in several concerts for the Third World Solidarity Organization and in London Festivals. He conducted the orchestra for Dr Husain’s Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe written in Dr Husain’s fusion style. The soloists were Dr Husain and oboist Neil Black. He has also been part of accompanying ensemble for visits by international Pakistani singer Rajab Ali.
Rosenzweig has become active regularly active as Jazz musician again, and has recently played with many noted players.