London-born Michael Spivakowsky’s (1919-1983) musical career began at the age of four with violin studies with his cellist father, Ukrainian-born Boris Spivakowsky.

The young Spivakowsky’s early prowess on the violin with sophisticated works for a young prodigy brought a strong beginning to his career at the age of nine when he performed the Mendelssohn Concerto with the London Philharmonic. He entered the Guildhall School of Music (London) on full scholarship at age 14 where he studied with the well-known pedagogue Felix Vandyl, a student of Carl Flesch.  

In 1945 he began a collaboration with Sir Tommy Reilly, a harmonica virtuoso. Reilly asked Michael to compose a three-movement concerto for chromatic harmonica and full orchestra. Spivakowsky penned the first major work for harmonica and orchestra in 1951, simply titled “Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra.” A recording is available on the 1993 CD, “Tommy Reilly Plays Harmonica Concertos.”

Spivakovsky's 1951 Harmonica Concerto is considered the first important full-scale concerto for harmonica and is still being performed worldwide. 

Around the same time when he wrote his groundbreaking harmonica concerto, Michael was also busy with The Stradivari Orchestra, which he conducted and for which he wrote arrangements of famous classical works, such as Antonin Dvorak’s “Humoresque.” The Stradivari Orchestra could be heard on BBC Radio between 1950-1954. 

He also directed the Moskow Virtuosi for a series of recordings of modern composers, including Bela Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern.

Spivakowsky emigrated with his family to New York City in 1954. He became the principal violist of the American Ballet Theater, a member of the Concord String Quartet, a Broadway conductor, and recorded with many artists.

In 1965, he orchestrated the music for the Broadway musical, “The Zulu and the Zayda,” starring Lou Gossett, Jr. which enjoyed a six-month run.

He spent 13 years with the Frank Sinatra Orchestra.

He also recorded with: Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Perry Como, Barbara Cook, Deodato, Lotte Lenya, Humbert Lucarelli, the Marilyn Crispell Trio, Carmen McRae, Meco, and Oliver Nelson. 

He appears on the soundtrack of The Wiz, and made a contribution to Muppetdom on “Sesame Disco!” Other albums on which he appears include “The Complete Jerome Kern Songbooks” and “Original Music from the Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

His compositional catalogue is extensive. In addition to the 1951 “Harmonica Concerto,” other works by Spivakowsky include “Memoir,” “Tango of Violins,” “Valse Burlesque,” “Autum Tapestry,” a series of variations on children’s nursery rhymes and the classic “Happy Birthday to You” for string quartet, and a full-scale composition for symphony orchestra based on the Purim “Esther” story intended as music for a ballet. A two-piano recording of the score was recorded by Ferrante and Teicher.

Michael Spivakowsky performed on a 1762 Carlo Annibale Tononi violin.

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