Kahane, Jeffrey (Alan)
Kahane, Jeffrey (Alan)
Kahane, Jeffrey (Alan) , American pianist and conductor; b. Los Angeles, Sept. 12, 1956. He began piano training with Howard Weisel and Jakob Gimpel, and completed his studies at the San Francisco Cons, of Music (graduated, 1977). In 1977 he took 2nd prize in the Clara Haskil Competition and in 1981 4th prize in the Van Cliburn Competition. He won the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in 1983, and that same year made his Carnegie Hall debut in N.Y. and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. His London debut followed in 1985, and in 1987 he received the first Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. In 1988 he made his conducting debut at the Ore. Bach Festival, and thereafter pursued a dual career as a pianist and conductor. He co-founded the Gardner Chamber Orch. in 1991, which he led as artistic director and conductor until 1995. In 1992 he became assoc. conductor of the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival. He also became music director of the Santa Rosa (Calif.) Sym. Orch. in 1995 and of the Los Angeles Chamber Orch. in 1997.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire