Composers

Charles David Osborne – Composer, Songs of Life Festival

The long and distinguished musical career of Charles David Osborne began with piano lessons at age five, and his first professional singing engagement, as a boy alto, at age twelve. Inspired by his cousin, Metropolitan Opera basso Justino Diaz, he received a degree in Voice Performance from the Hartt College of Music in 1972. Following graduation, Mr. Osborne, a tenor, embarked upon an international singing career, appearing in Europe and Israel, and at major concert venues in the U.S., including Avery Fisher and Carnegie Halls in New York, and Symphony Hall in Boston. During the 1980's, Osborne studied composition with two of America's leading 20th century composers, Miriam Gideon and Hugo Weisgall.


In 1997, composer Charles David Osborne enlisted his friend and colleague, Aryeh Finklestein, to write a libretto for his new oratorio, Souls on Fire, a work based on the book by Nobel Prize Laureate, Elie Wiesel. The oratorio premiered in Boston in 1998 to critical acclaim, and was soon recorded by the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, with narration by Leonard Nimoy. In 2003, “Souls” was performed in Detroit and Philadelphia. 2004 marked its Boston reprise, as well as debuts in both New York at Lincoln Center, and in Los Angeles.

Mr. Osborne's latest collaboration with Finklestein, Like Wildflowers Suddenly, is an oratorio commissioned by the Zamir Chorale of Boston for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, and premiered on June 1, 2007 at Harvard University. Their oratorio Kings and Fishermen, which had its world premiere in Boston in December, 2002, received its New York premiere at Lincoln Center in June, 2005, narrated by Theodore Bikel.

With increasing recognition for his work, he receives numerous offers for commissions, both liturgical and non-liturgical. He has recently completed a Concerto for Harp and Orchestra written for the Bulgarian virtuoso Suzanna Klintcharova.  

Aryeh Finklestein – Librettist, Songs of Life Festival

ARYEH FINKLESTEIN was born in Israel, but grew up in England. He has been cantor of Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for twenty years. As a boy he sang with his late father, Hazzan Zvi Finkelstein, and younger brother Meir on BBC television and radio. Today, Aryeh is recognized as a noted interpreter of the liturgical compositions of Meir Finkelstein. A prolific writer, Aryeh is a published poet, translator and reviewer whose work has appeared in numerous scholarly journals. Although he has written principally on literary subjects - specializing in Victorian Literature and modern British and American Poetry - he has published as well on Biblical Archaeology and American Revolutionary History. As a Librettist, he has collaborated on several full-length oratorios with composer Charles Osborne - two of which, SOULS ON FIRE and KINGS & FISHERMEN, have been performed at Lincoln Center in New York. Aryeh and Rachael Finklestein have three children.