IRA KRAEMER, conductor

RESUME: Current to 2/05

1960-61 Student of Pierre Monteux (former conductor of the Boston, San Francisco and London Symphony Orchestras) at the Domaine School for Conductors, Hancock, Maine. Public conducting debut August 1961 on a concert honoring Pierre Monteux's appointment as music director of the London Symphony.

1962-66 Orchestral conducting major at Mannes College of Music in New York City. Studies with Carl Bamberger. B.S. Degree.

1963 Assistant conductor of the Mannes Chorus .

1964-1965 Organized and conducted concerts of the Mannes Chamber Orchestra. Conducted various ensembles while at Mannes which read and performed new student compositions. Co-organized and conducted the Bayonne(N.J.) Baroque Ensemble.

1966-1969 Organized and conducted the Little Symphony of Newark (N.J.) sponsored by the Newark Public Library. Appointed conductor of the Springfield (N.J.) String Orchestra Society.

1967 -To date Founded and presently own and operate Ira B. Kraemer & Co. Fine Violins. A firm specializing in purveying and restoring rare bowed instruments.

1970 Appointed conductor of the South Orange (N.J.) Symphony Orchestra. Violist with the New Jersey Symphony under Henry Lewis. Conducting and viola faculty with the Performing Arts School of New Jersey in Westfield

1971 Guest conducted the National Orchestral Association Orchestra, N.Y.C. at the invitation of Leon Barzin.
1974 Appointed regular guest conductor of the Newark (N.J.) Pops.

1978 Appointed music director and conductor of the Suburban Symphony Society of New Jersey (Cranford, N.J.)

1979 Guest conducted the Jersey Lyric Opera for 3 productions (Tosca, Carmen, Un Ballo in Maschera)

1980 Appointed music director and conductor of the Summit (N.J.) Symphony Orchestra.

1982 Organized and conducted the Cosmopolitan Chamber Ensemble of New Jersey.

1983 Guest conducted 2 productions of the Community Opera of New Jersey (Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel)

1984 Composed Triptych for Harp and Strings. Received a grant from the Union County Cultural and Heritage Commission to record same.

1986 Elected to the board of directors as program and music director of the Society of Musical Arts (Maplewood, N.J.) Composed choreographic suite "City Robots" for 4 synthesizers using MIDI technology.

1987 Guest conducted the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra in its winter and spring seasons. Composed the Sinfonietta for Strings. Composed the Petite Suite for Saxophone Quartet. World premiere by the Amherst Saxophone Quartet at Rockwell Hall, Buffalo, New York on Nov. 8. Review

1988 World broadcast premiere of Petite Suite on Feb. 1, produced by National Public Radio and carried locally by WNYC , New York City. Appointed conductor and music director of the Concert Orchestra of Union County.

1989 Completion of Sonata for Viola and Piano. Accompanied violist, Michael Tree in Handel's Viola Concerto. Performance of "Marriage of Figaro" with Jersey Lyric Opera.

1991 Performance with Concert Orchestra of Union County in an all Mozart program commemorating the 200th anniversary of his death. Conducted full production of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet.

1992 Performance of Vivaldi's "Spring" from the Four Seasons", Michael Tree, violin soloist

1993 Performances with Society of Musical Arts, N.J., Premiere of Cello Sonata at Louisiana State University. Nutcracker Ballet production.

1994 - 1995 Continued performances with Society of Musical Arts and Performing Arts Ensemble.

1996 Composed "Suite for Theremin and String Orchestra" (not yet premiered)

1996- 1999 Continuation of full production of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet with the Performing Arts Ensemble (a fully professional orchestra)

2000-2001 Co-founder of the Summer Youth Ensemble Festival (youth string orchestra for advanced players) in Central New Jersey, publication of Petite Suite for Saxophone Quartet by Dorn Publications, Continuation of full production of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet with the Performing Arts Ensemble (a fully professional orchestra) Professional member American Symphony Orchestra League.

2002 - Conductor and Music Director of Young Players Philharmonic, Central New Jersey.

2004 - Acquisition of a very rare Ondes Martenot (electronic musical instrument, one of the few existing in the U.S.) Composition of Suite for Ondes Martenot, Harp, Celeste and Strings.

2005 - Anticipated world premiere recording of the Sonata for Viola and Piano (1987) Continuation as Music Director and Conductor of the Young Players Philharmonic.

2006 - Listed in Who's Who in America

Miscellaneous:

Curator and owner of the "Pierre Monteux Archive" (documents and original photos relating to his life)
Curator and owner of the "Cole Porter Archive" (documents and original photos relating to his life)
Collector of various historic classical music documents and photographs
Collector of Antique Phonographs and historic recordings
President of "Sound Preservation Recordings, Inc." specializing in the preservation of Edison's recordings on CD.