Alfred John Neumann Tribute

ALFRED JOHN NEUMANN

 

Born: Brooklyn, N.Y. Dec. 15, 1928, son of Else Kleiber and

Alfred Kellerman, and later stepson, of Erich Neumann.

B.S. degree from Davidson College, Davidson, N.C. and M.M. from Univ. of Michigan,

Ann Arbor, MI. College honors included President of Phi Mu Alpha

(honorary Music Fraternity), President of Delta Phi Alpha (honorary

German Fraternity), member of the Football and Concert Bands, and

the Queens-Davidson Symphony, producer and accompanist for many

performances of "THE TELEPHONE" by Gian Carlo Menotti.

 

Served a one year substitute position on the faculty of Furman

Univ., Greenville, S.C. (1951-52) as conductor of the Football and

Concert Bands during which time the bands recorded An album for

RCA Victor, broadcast a weekly radio show, and toured over 2000

miles.

 

While at the University of Michigan (1952-54), served as student

conductor of the University Choirs, accompanist for the Univ. of Michigan Vocal Quartet,

the Univ. of Michigan Opera Department, was Assistant Instructor in Music Literature,

tour Manager for the Michigan Singers, conductor of the Allan Rumsey Howe Glee Club,

and accompanist for W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues" in recital

at the university.

 

During the summers, served as Assistant to the Director of the Brevard Music Center, Brevard, N.C.

MUSIC JOURNAL MAGAZINE published several articles on Sacred Music by Mr. Neumann

and listed him in its "Gallery of Living American Composers", having had works published

by C. Schirmer, Carl Fischer, Plymouth Music and Hinshaw Music Publishers.

 

Served in the U.S. Army. While stationed at Ft. Belvoir, received several letters of commendation from the

Commanding General for work on Special Services Staff project. Later, became a member of the U.S. Army Chorus,

singing for WHITE HOUSE and STATE DEPARTMENT functions.

 

In Washington, D.C. he played piano for many years at several restaurants, including the famous

TIVOLI OPERA RESTAURANT in Georgetown. He was accompanist for THE MOZART TRIOS touring the U.S. and

Europe numerous times. He was a chorister of the Washington

Opera for 15 years (1957-1972), a member of the Washington Chamber

Chorus which sang the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera,

 

THE UNICORN, GORGON, AND MANTICORE, in the Library of Congress (1957),

organist for the Washington Hebrew Congregation (1077-1982),

accompanist for summer productions at Wolf Trap, accompanist for the Washington Performing

Arts Society's Concerts in the Schools program, and accompanist for Todd Duncan's voice studio.

 

From 1958-1994 he served as organist and choir director of Christ Congregational Church in

Silver Spring, MD, during' which time he took the Christ Church Choir on 20 singing tours in the U.S., Canada,

Hawaii, and Europe. Under his leadership the church's choir and orchestra premiered two of

his sacred operas, AN OPERA FOR CHRISTMAS, and AN OPERA FOR EASTER, on NBC-TV in Washington, D.C.,

appeared at the New York World's Fair of 1964 and 1965, and at EXPO '74 in

Montreal, Canada. The choir sang in the Riverside! Church, N.Y. City; First Congregational, San Francisco, CA;

St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Honolulu, HI, The Bermuda Cathedral, Hamilton, Bermuda;

Washington National Cathedral, National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Kennedy Center

Concert Hall, and for President Nixon and the Eisenhower family in THE WHITE HOUSE (1969). He took the choir on 4 tours in

Europe (1966, 1972, 1978, 1983), singing in England, France, Germany,

Austria and Italy. In Rome, they sang for a mass in St. Peter's

Basilica and for an audience with Pope Paul VI.

 

During his tenure at Christ Congregational Church, the choir

and orchestra recorded two commercial LP's For the CREST RECORD

label: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO by Saint-Sans (CRS-4433) and GREAT

CHORALWORKS (CRDG-4203), and he produced and directed many works,

including AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, Menotti; THE TELEPHONE,

Menotti: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Webber;

GUYS AND DOLLS, Loesser; L'ENFANT PRODIGUE, Debussy;, BARBAR, THE

ELEPHANT, Prokofiev; THE UNICORN, GORGON, AND MANTIOORE, Menotti;

MESSIAH, Handel; REQUIEMS by Brahms, Duruflee, Faure and Rutter;

AN OPERA FOR CHRISTMAS, AN OPERA FOR EASTER, AND OPERA FOR EVERYMAN,

THE RITES OF MAN, Neumann; and numerous children's Musicals with the youth choirs of the church.

 

He organized and conducted two concerts by the combined choirs and orchestra of the

area United Churches of Christ in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to benefit the six colleges of the American

Missionary Association of the denomination (1974,1975). In 1976,

he was coordinator and music director for the National Convention of the United Church of

Christ in the Washington Hilton Hotel and the Washington National Cathedral.

He has been a member of ASCAP (AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHERS)

since 1975, served on the Montgomery County Arts Council, was a volunteer at Holy Cross Hospital, and was with

associated with Dale Music Company of Silver Spring, Maryland, for over 30 years.

He is listed in WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA 2000 and INTERNATIONAL WHO'S WHO IN MUSIC.