Alexis Kudisch and Bella Weinberg papers, 1893-1998

Links

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• View PDF finding aid (111.46 KB)

Creator

Kudisch, Alexis

Location

Music Division

Extent

• 3 linear feet (6 boxes)

Scope/Contents Note

The Alexis Kudisch and Bella Kudisch Weinberg papers are largely related to the unpublished manuscript, A Musical Odyssey, by Weinberg. The book describes her father's life and career, as well as her own experience growing up in a musical family. There are many drafts of the various parts of the book, but most of the drafts are undated. Furthermore, there are some draft pages whose intended place in the book is unclear. The collection also includesresearch material for the book, some original documentation from Kudisch's career and copies of personalitems, such as Kudisch's Russian birth certificate and musical certification. Finally, there is a series of scores, mostly consisting of pieces composed or arranged by Kudisch.

Biographical/Historical Note

Alexis Kudisch (1878-1947) was a concert violinist, born and trained in Russia, who moved to New York City and pursued a symphonic career. He eventually led his own string quartet, which successfully toured throughout the United States and, later, in the 1940s, he became concert master for several important ballet troupes, including Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Kudisch,whose real name was Avraam Kudish, altered the spelling ofthe name to Kudisch. He married an opera singer named Manya, whom he had met shortly after his arrival in New York, and the couple would have three children. Bella Kudisch Weinberg (1912-2002) was Kudisch's oldest child. She had trained for a musical career as a cellist, but worked as a painter until her death in 2002, showing her work extensively in galleries in the Washington, D.C. and Maryland area, and, later, Florida. Weinberg began writingA Musical Odyssey, an unpublished biography of Alexis Kudisch, as a means of connecting her father's art to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Controlled Access Terms

• Kudisch, Alexis.
• Weinberg, Bella Kudisch.
• Concertmasters -- United States -- 20th century.
• Violinists -- United States -- 20th century.
• Women painters -- United States -- 20th century.
• Manuscripts.
• Scores.
• Concertmasters.
• Painters.
• Violinists.

Additional Creator Names

• Kudisch, Alexis.
• Weinberg, Bella Kudisch.
• Weinberg, Bella Kudisch. Musical odyssey.
• American Music Collection.