Simon Sargon

Sargon was born April 6, 1938 in Mumbai, India. His mother was of Ashkenazi (Russian) descent and his father was a Sephardic Jew whose family had settled in Mumbai. Sargon was brought to America at an early age and grew up in Winthrop, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. == Education ==

Beginning his studies at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sargon went on to graduate magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University with a B. A. in Music. He later attended the Juilliard School to obtain an M. S. in Composition in 1962. He also attended the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School in Blue Hill, Maine; the Aspen Music Festival and School; and the Tanglewood Institute. His major teachers included Darius Milhaud, Irving Fine, Vincent Persichetti, Miecyslaw Horszowski, and Sergius Kagen. == Career ==

From 1960 until 1971, Sargon was a recital partner for famed mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel in concerts and master classes throughout the United States and abroad. In 1974, Sargon was appointed Director of Music at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Texas and began a 27-year tenure with one of the largest Reform Jewish congregations in America. Sargon served as Composer-in-Residence and received commissions from leading temples throughout the country and, as emeritus at Temple Emanu-El, continued to consult and collaborate with cantors and other temple musicians on creative projects. He was a Fellow of the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity and participated in the Center's First International Symposium held in Jerusalem in 1996. In 2003, the American Conference of Cantors made him an Honorary Member in recognition of his achievements and for "his outstanding contributions to Jewish Music and Jewish Life". In 2018 to mark his 80th birthday, Southern Methodist University in Dallas presented a program of his vocal music, including individual songs and excerpts from song cycles, and in Washington, D.C. Temple Sinai gave a concert of his compositions that included 15 cantors, several instrumentalists, and 175 volunteer singers. Asked by broadcaster Bruce Duffie in a 2006 interview, “Why have music at all?” Sargon said, “Music is one of the greatest, richest and most satisfying gifts that we as humans have on Earth. Without music, my life would be devoid of meaning. It would be bare and empty. I can’t imagine it.” == Commissions and awards ==

Notable commissions include the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (Haas Trio; Toward the Light), Meadows Foundation (Saul, King of Israel), Two of Sargon's compositions are included in the Milken Archives Collection of 20th Century American Jewish Music (Shema and ''At Grandfather's Knee''). == Publishers and distributors ==

Sargon's works are published by Transcontinental Music Publications, Hal Leonard, Boosey & Hawkes, Southern Music, and Lawson-Gould, among others. His work as both composer and pianist may be heard on the New World, Crystal, Klavier, and Ongaku labels. The Gasparo label has devoted three CDs exclusively to his compositions (Shema, Flame of the Lord, and A Clear Midnight). Distributors include TrevCo Music, Van Cott Information Services, and Classical Vocal Reprints, among others. ==References==