LOEWENSTEIN, RUDOLF (b. 1957)

Rudolf Loewenstein was born in November 1957 into a music loving family. His mother had been first a ballet dancer, and then in the opera ballet. She had a life long love of the piano, which she still plays today. Rudolf's father has also loved and appreciated classical music for all of his life. So it was natural that Rudolf would inherit not only a love of music, but also of dance. As a child, Rudolf used to play piano duets with his younger brother, and then as a student, he was involved in plenty of singing (i.e. madrigals, Gilbert and Sullivan - he once landed a solo G&S part as he was the only person auditioned who could sing bottom D with ease!) as well as folk dancing, which spilt over into the next fifteen or so years. He learned dances from England, Israel, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland for starters. 

But however much he enjoyed dancing (men are in short supply in folk dance groups in England!), he always landed up as a musician (musicians are in even shorter supply in England!!!), once people discovered that he played both piano and accordion. Thus his fate was (musically) sealed. Those who had seen him dance were quite relieved, it has to be said. He was also trained as a music teacher following the principles of Kodály, and often writes down music tunes that he composes or arranges in rhythmic solfa as a form of musical shorthand. In 1994 he entered the Domincan Order of Preachers and his musical life went onto a slightly different track...but not such a different track that he forgot folk music. That love of music has remained (and will always remain) constant throughout his life, whether it is expressed through dance, piano music or sung melody.

Contact:  

Rudolf Loewenstein, OP

St. Dominic’s Priory, Southampton Rd