Leo Ornstein was born in Krementchug, Russia, December 11th, 1895. His
father was cantor in the synagogue. Until 1906 Ornstein was a pupil in
the Petrograd Conservatory. Because of the pogroms, his family emigrated
to New York. There he attended the Friends' School and studied music in
the Institute of Musical Art. Later, he studied with Bertha Fiering
Tapper. He made his début as pianist in January, 1911. In 1913-14 he
lived in Europe, in Paris chiefly. He was introduced to the French
public by Calvocoressi at a concert in the Sorbonne. In the summer he
toured Norway. He returned to America in the autumn, and early next year
gave a series of recitals of ultra-modern music at the Fifty-seventh
Street Theatre. Next year he continued the series at four semi-private
recitals at the home of Mrs. Arthur M. Reis. He has been giving concerts
all over the United States and Canada since. He is living at present in
Jackson, N. H.
Among Ornstein's compositions there are:
Two symphonic poems, "The Fog" and "The Life of Man" (after Andrev); a
Piano-concerto, Opus 44; a setting of the 30th Psalm for chorus; a
Quartet for strings, Opus 28; a Miniature String-quartet; a
Piano-quintet, Opus 49; two Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Opera 26 and
31; two Sonatas for Cello and Piano, Opera 45 and 78; Three Lieder, Opus
33; Four settings of Blake, Opus 18.--For piano solo: Sonata, Opus 35;
Dwarf Suite, Opus 11; Impressions of the Thames, Opus 13; Two
Impressions of Notre-Dame, Opus 16; Two Shadow Pieces, Opus 17; Six
Short Pieces, Opus 19; Three Preludes, Opus 20; Three Moods, Opus 22;
Eleven Short Pieces, Opus 29; Burlesques, Opus 30; Eighteen Preludes--à
la Chinoise, Opus 39; Arabesques, Opus 48; Poems of 1917, Opus 68.