Abe Ellstein(1907-1963)

Composer, conductor and pianist, educated at the Third Street Settlement, the Manhattan School of Music, and Juilliard (on scholarship); a student of Frederic Jacobi, Rubin Goldmark, and Albert Stoessel. He was a member of the Metropolitan Opera's Children's Chorus between 1916 and 1920 and sang in the John Barrymore production "Richard III". He toured the world as accompanist to cantor Joseph Rosenblatt, and composed operettas for the Yiddish Theater. He also composed the Broadway stage score for "Great To Be Alive" and worked in radio as music director for WMGM in New York and program host over WEVD in New York between 1951 and 1963. He also was the music director for the Advertisers Broadcasting Company. Joining ASCAP in 1958, his chief musical collaborators included Walter Bullock, Molly Picon, Jacob Jacobs, and Samuel Rosenbaum.