David Tanenbaum

Composers

Biography

Born: September 10, 1956; New York, NY  
In addition to his remarkable concert career, American David Tanenbaum has become one of the most tireless promoters and supporters of the classical guitar and its repertoire. As a performer, teacher, and editor, he continues to contribute to the status of his instrument.

David Tanenbaum was born into an exceptionally musical family; his mother, a private piano teacher, gave him his first lessons at the age of five. His father, Elias Read more Tanenbaum, is a composer and head of the electronic music program at the Manhattan School of Music; the two saw that young David had an extensive musical upbringing, which included lessons in recorder, piano, cello, theory, and composition. At the age of ten, partly out of rebellion, Tanenbaum found himself drawn to the guitar, but his leanings toward the electric guitar were put aside after his father took him to Andrés Segovia concerts. At 11, he began instruction with Rolando Valdes-Blain; his progress led him to a position playing with the Joffrey Ballet touring company.

At 17, Tanenbaum left home and began what would become two intensely challenging years of study with Aaron Shearer, who helped his student cement his developing technique. Tanenbaum then moved to the West Coast, settling in San Francisco and studying at the San Francisco Conservatory with Michael Lorimer. In 1977, he won the Carmel Classic Guitar Competition, and in the next year took second prize at the Toronto International Guitar Competition.

The resulting fame helped him begin a series of national and international concert tours. Tanenbaum has played with many of the world's finest orchestras and has been a featured soloist at several outdoor festivals. In 1988, he became the first American guitarist invited to perform in China at the request of the Chinese government. The following year, while serving as president of the Second American Classical Guitar Congress, he commissioned, among others, the work Rosewood for guitar orchestra from composer Henry Brant. Conducting the work, which can utilize over 100 guitars, has won Tanenbaum international renown.

Though Tanenbaum is known for his interpretation of Baroque composers and indeed a wide variety of guitar literature, he is best-known for relentless promulgation of new music for the classical guitar, particularly by American composers. A partial list of the works that were written for, commissioned by, or first recorded by Tanenbaum, includes Hans Werner Henze's concerto An eine Aolsharfe, Terry Riley's Ascension, Peter Maxwell Davies' Sonata, Toru Takemitsu's All in Twilight, Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint, John Anthony Lennon's The Fortunels, and Aaron Jay Kernis' One Hundred Greatest Dance Hits. Tanenbaum has also worked with and performed the music of Lou Harrison, Michael Tippett, Shirish Korde, and John Adams, among many others, but perhaps his most fruitful collaborations with composers are those with Henze and Riley. With the Ensemble Modern, Tanenbaum played Henze's El Cimarron and has recorded his immense cycle for guitar, Royal Winter Music. Riley was so taken by the success of Ascension that he embarked upon the composition of a 26-piece chamber music collection featuring the guitar, each piece beginning with a different letter of the alphabet.

Although he has toured incessantly and recorded more than two-dozen albums, Tanenbaum's talents extend well beyond performance. He has been on the faculty at Mills College and now heads the guitar department at the San Francisco Conservatory, where in 1995 he was named Outstanding Professor. Tanenbaum's frequent articles about his instrument have added much to the field, as have his editions and arrangements of work for classical guitar, including such diverse composers as Piazzolla, Carcassi, Brouwer, Bryan Johnson, and David Conte. David and Julie Tanenbaum have one son, Zachary. Read less
Browse 1-17 of 17 Available Recordings
  • 1.
    Awakenings: New American Chamber Music For Guitar
    Awakenings: New American Chamber Music For Guitar
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8559650 Release Date: 08/31/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Jorge Liderman,  Aaron Jay Kernis,  Steven Mackey
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum,  Axel Strauss,  Hila Plitmann,  Aaron Jay Kernis
    Conductor:  David Tanenbaum
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cuarteto Latinoamericano,  San Francisco Conservatory Guitar Ensemble
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  • 2.
    Classical Beatles
    Classical Beatles
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 16784 Release Date: 11/03/2009   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  John Rutter,  Paul McCartney,  John Lennon,  Arthur Wilkinson  ... 
    Performer:  Manuel Barrueco,  Lesley Garrett,  Xuefei Yang,  David Tanenbaum
    Conductor:  Ron Goodwin,  Richard Edlinger,  George Martin,  Miriam Nemcova
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra,  King's Singers,  Baroque Chamber Orchestra  ... 
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  • 3.
    Kernis: Top 100 Dance Hits
    Kernis: Top 100 Dance Hits
    Label: Black Box   Catalog: 1107 Release Date: 04/10/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Aaron Jay Kernis
    Performer:  Felix Fan,  Andrew Russo,  David Tanenbaum
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  • 4.
    Henze: Royal Winter Music / Tanenbaum
    Henze: Royal Winter Music / Tanenbaum
    Label: Stradivarius   Catalog: 33670 Release Date: 08/09/2005   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Hans Werner Henze
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
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  • 5.
    Liderman: Waking Dances / Tanenbaum, Osterreich, Et Al
    Liderman: Waking Dances / Tanenbaum, Osterreich, Et Al
    Label: Bridge   Catalog: 9150 Release Date: 08/31/2004   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Jorge Liderman
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
    Conductor:  Mary Chun,  Helmut Osterreich
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Earplay,  Baden-Würtemberg Youth Guitar Orchestra
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  • 6.
    Adams: Naïve & Sentimental Music / Salonen, Los Angeles Po
    Adams: Naïve & Sentimental Music / Salonen, Los Angeles Po
    Label: Nonesuch   Catalog: 79636 Release Date: 07/30/2002   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  John Adams
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
    Conductor:  Esa-Pekka Salonen
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 7.
    Y Bolanzero / T. & G. Riley, Tanenbaum, Sagmeister, Et Al
    Y Bolanzero / T. & G. Riley, Tanenbaum, Sagmeister, Et Al
    Label: Cadenza   Catalog: 800879 Release Date: 03/26/2002   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Chick Corea,  Henry Brant,  Leo Brouwer,  Terry Riley  ... 
    Performer:  Terry Riley,  Michael Sagmeister,  David Tanenbaum,  Gyan Riley
    Conductor:  Oesterreich,
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Baden-Würtemberg Youth Guitar Orchestra
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  • 8.
    Estudios / David Tanenbaum
    Estudios / David Tanenbaum
    Label: Gsp Recordings   Catalog: 1000 Release Date: 09/12/2000   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Matteo Carcassi,  Fernando Sor,  Leo Brouwer
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
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  • 9.
    Riley: The Book Of Abbeyozzud / Tanenbaum, Silverman, Et Al
    Riley: The Book Of Abbeyozzud / Tanenbaum, Silverman, Et Al
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 106 Release Date: 10/19/1999   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Terry Riley
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum,  William Winant,  Gyan Riley,  Tracy Silverman
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  • 10.
    Reich, Richmond, Kernis, Riley, Etc / David Tabenbaum
    Reich, Richmond, Kernis, Riley, Etc / David Tabenbaum
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 95 Release Date: 11/18/1997   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Alan Hovhaness,  Terry Riley,  Lew Richmond,  Frank Zappa  ... 
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
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  • 11.
    Tanenbaum: Last Letters From Stalingrad / David Tanenbaum
    Tanenbaum: Last Letters From Stalingrad / David Tanenbaum
    Label: Albany Records   Catalog: 247 Release Date: 07/01/1997   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Elias Tanenbaum
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum,  Amy Hersh,  Robert Osborne,  Tina Pelikan  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Chester String Quartet
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  • 12.
    Great American Guitar Solo / David Tanenbaum
    Great American Guitar Solo / David Tanenbaum
    Label: Neuma   Catalog: 84 Release Date: 12/13/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Curtis Curtis-Smith,  Shirish Korde,  Bryan Johanson,  Marilyn Currier  ... 
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
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  • 13.
    Manuel Barruecco Plays Lennon & Mccartney
    Manuel Barruecco Plays Lennon & Mccartney
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 55228 Release Date: 08/08/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Paul McCartney,  John Lennon
    Performer:  Manuel Barrueco,  David Tanenbaum
    Conductor:  Jeremy Lubbock
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra
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  • 14.
    Peter Scott Lewis - Beaming Contrasts / Alexander Quartet
    Peter Scott Lewis - Beaming Contrasts / Alexander Quartet
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 60 Release Date: 04/16/1995   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Peter Scott Lewis
    Performer:  Marc Shapiro,  Lawrence Granger,  Julie McKenzie,  Paul Yarbrough  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Alexander String Quartet
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  • 15.
    Harrison: The Perilous Chapel / Duykers, Tanenbaum, Et Al
    Harrison: The Perilous Chapel / Duykers, Tanenbaum, Et Al
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 55 Release Date: 04/13/1994   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Lou Harrison
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum,  William Winant,  John Duykers,  Julie Steinberg  ... 
    Conductor:  Stephen L. Mosko
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Contemporary Music Players
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  • 16.
    Piazzolla: El Porteño / David Tanenbaum
    Piazzolla: El Porteño / David Tanenbaum
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 65 Release Date: 03/01/1994   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Astor Piazzolla
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum
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  • 17.
    Acoustic Counterpoint / David Tannenbaum
    Acoustic Counterpoint / David Tannenbaum
    Label: New Albion   Catalog: 32 Release Date: 01/13/1994   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Toru Takemitsu,  Roberto Sierra,  Peter Maxwell Davies,  Steve Reich  ... 
    Performer:  David Tanenbaum,  Käthe Jarka,  Zheng Wang,  Li Wei-Gang  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Shanghai String Quartet
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