Editing David L. Kaplan (composer)

{{other people||David Kaplan (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = 
|image       = 
|alt         = 
|caption     = 
|birth_name        = David Leon Kaplan
|birth_date  = {{Birth date|1923|12|12}}
|birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], US
|death_date  = {{Death date and age|2015|4|6|1923|12|12}}
|death_place = [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
|nationality = 
|other_names = 
|alma_mater  = [[Roosevelt University]]<br>[[Oberlin College]]<br>[[Indiana University (Bloomington)|Indiana University]]
|occupation  = 
|known_for   = professor of music, composer, symphony conductor
|awards      = [[Order of Canada]]<br>[[Saskatchewan Order of Merit]]
}}
'''David Leon Kaplan''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|SOM}} (December 12, 1923 – April 6, 2015) was a Chicago-born, U.S.-educated Canadian composer, university professor of music, performer, and conductor.

==Life and education==
Dr. Kaplan was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1923 to a musical family. Kaplan's father, Joshua Samuel, played [[euphonium]] in a Russian army band, eventually settled in Chicago, where he played in brass bands and became a general practitioner. His mother, Nettie (née Lurie), born in Lithuania, was a piano student. Kaplan took piano lessons in elementary school and switched to the clarinet in high school, where he joined the band and discovered his love of music. He wrote his first symphony at 14.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/david-kaplan-a-teacher-who-bridged-worlds-through-music/article24359733/|title=David Kaplan: A teacher who bridged worlds through music|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=2017-03-13|language=en-ca}}</ref>

He served with the U.S. military during the Second World War, from 1942 to 1946. During that time he played in a Special Services branch under the command of Major [[Wayne King]], who was known then as the Waltz King of America. Kaplan credited his wartime service for exposing him to new musical styles, including jazz.<ref name=":1" />

He received a Bachelor of Music from [[Roosevelt University]] in 1948, a Master of Music from [[Oberlin College]] in 1950 and a Doctor of Music from [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]] in 1978.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/david-l-kaplan-emc|title=David L. Kaplan|work=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=2017-03-13|language=en}}</ref>

Kaplan retired in the 1990s.<ref>[http://cjme.com/story/saskatoon-music-icon-david-kaplan-dies/546584 Obituary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084111/http://cjme.com/story/saskatoon-music-icon-david-kaplan-dies/546584 |date=2016-03-04 }} on [[CJME]] website, [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], [[Saskatoon]]</ref> He died in his Saskatoon home on April 6, 2015, aged 91, survived by his second wife, Suzanne, two sons and a daughter, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.<ref>[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestarphoenix/obituary.aspx?n=david-kaplan&pid=174586323&fhid=6664 Obituary on legacy.com], retrieved April 8, 2015</ref>

==Career==
Kaplan taught at West Texas State University from 1955 to 1959 before moving to Canada in 1960, where he was a professor of music at the [[University of Saskatchewan]]. He founded its department of music, which he headed from 1966 to 1982. He also founded the university's concert band.<ref name=":0" /> During his time at the university, he was responsible for introducing new programs such as the BA in music and music education and graduate degrees in music education and music arts.<ref name=":1" />  David Kaplan served full-time at the University of Saskatchewan from 1960 to 1991. He also held teaching positions at the [[The Music Conservatory of Chicago College of Performing Arts|Chicago Conservatory of Music]], the [[University of New Mexico]], the [[Interlochen Center for the Arts|National Music Camp]] in Interlochen, Michigan, and the World Youth Orchestra of [[Jeunesses Musicales International|Jeunesses Musicales]] in Spain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/kaplan_david_l_1923-.html|title=The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan {{!}} Details|last=Saskatchewan|first=Cory Toth - Encyclopedia Of|website=esask.uregina.ca|access-date=2017-03-13}}</ref>

From 1962 to 1972 he was the principal conductor of the [[Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra]].

He was responsible for establishing the Festival of Faith multi-faith music festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://library.usask.ca/archives/exhibitions-digital/exhibitions/david-l.-kaplan.php|title=David L. Kaplan - University of Saskatchewan|website=library.usask.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-13}}</ref>

=== Composition ===
Kaplan arranged or composed pieces for woodwinds, including a series of 50 solos for school use written in 1985. Some of his music was published by Jack Spratt, New York, and [[Belwin-Mills|Belwin]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Music education ===
Kaplan was responsible for preparing the [[Conservatory Canada|Western Board of Music]] (WBM) woodwind syllabus in 1972.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/western-board-of-music-emc/|title=Western Board of Music|last=Brandhagen|first=William L.|work=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=2017-03-13|language=en}}</ref> He also edited the school-music magazines ''[[Clarinet Corner]]'' and ''Band Lab'' during the 1950s and early 1960s.<ref name=":0" />

==Awards==
*2002 - Member of the [[Order of Canada]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=8342|title=Order of Canada|last=Services|first=Government of Canada, Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, Information and Media|website=archive.gg.ca|access-date=2017-03-13}}</ref> 
*2006 - [[Saskatchewan Order of Merit]]
*December 12, 2013, his 90th birthday, was declared "David L. Kaplan Day" by the Saskatoon City Council.<ref name="story">{{cite news|last=Tembath |first=Seth |date=January 22, 2014 |title=David Kaplan: His influence in Saskatoon goes beyond music |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/David+Kaplan+influence+Saskatoon+goes+beyond+music/10952715/story.html |newspaper=The Star Phoenix |location=Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |access-date=April 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418030444/http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/David+Kaplan+influence+Saskatoon+goes+beyond+music/10952715/story.html |archivedate=April 18, 2015 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
David L Kaplan & Darlene Polachic. ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/911719808 Kaplan: The Well-Tempered Klezmerer: an autobiography.]'' 2012. {{ISBN|9781771361040}}.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaplan, David L.}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:American emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Indiana University alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian composers]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit]]
[[Category:Musicians from Chicago]]
[[Category:Oberlin College alumni]]
[[Category:Roosevelt University alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian conductors (music)]]