Dear family, friends, students, colleagues, and fellow music lovers,

Abraham Kaplan, affectionately known to most of his family and friends as "Kappy," passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by loved ones in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, the 6th of September, 2023. Please read his obituary in the Seattle Times here. 

​

​

​

Abraham Kaplan was considered by many to be one of the greatest choral conductors and composers of his generation, distinguished by his numerous compositions, recordings, writings, and performances. As a composer, Kaplan has published and recorded four major works for chorus and orchestra, plus several shorter works. His music has been featured on radio and television and been performed for public figures including President of the United States and the Queen of England.

 

Kaplan has conducted several major orchestras and choirs, including the NBC Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Calgary Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, and the Kol Israel Choir and Orchestra. Kaplan founded and directed the Camerata Singers. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on many occasions, and has also prepared choruses for such eminent conductors as Pierre Boulez, Igor Stravinsky, William Steinberg, Raphael Kubelik, Sir Neville Mariner, Seiji Ozawa, and Lorin Maazel.

​

RECENTLY PUBLISHED: A retrospective by Jewish In Seattle (ed. Emily Elhadeff) was published in their June-July 2018 issue, and is available with their kind permission: The Maestro Among Us (PDF, 3MB) by Tova Gannana.  Also available from the Jewish In Seattle website.