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Preface by Ronn Yedidia (excerpt)
The 12 Preludes for Children were composed in 1994 & 1995 and saw some revisions in 1996 – before their first publication by Verse Music in New York City (Ronn Yedidia’s individual publishing company in affiliation with BMI). At that time I made my first steps as a piano instructor and I became enchanted with the world of children & music. This new experience prompted a need to compose some short, charming and easy-to-play piano pieces for children. The music quickly formed up as a collection of sonic imageries, inspired by my childhood memories as well as my young students. I saw it as an expression of purity, yet also as a pedagogical tool to enhance piano playing on several levels in beginners and intermediate students. Indeed, a few of those students soon learnt and performed a number of the newly composed preludes at their recitals.
Ronn Yedidia’s compositions have galvanized the attention of performing artists worldwide during the last two decades. His works have been featured in major concert halls and documented on film, radio and television. He has won high critical acclaim from leading newspapers around the world, as both composer and pianist. Born in 1960 in Tel Aviv, Israel, he began his musical career as a child prodigy pianist, winning 1st Prize at the Young Concert Artists’ Competition of Israel at the age of eight. His main teacher and mentor was Israel’s first lady of the piano, Pnina Salzman, who herself was a protege of Alfred Cortot. Active as a performer for many years, Ronn decided at the age of 15 to shift his attention towards composition. In 1984 he entered the Juilliard School from which he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in composition. During his studies there under David Diamond and Milton Babbitt he received all the major prizes in composition, including the Lincoln Center Scholarship, the Irving Berlin Scholarship, the Henry Mancini Prize, and the Richard Rodgers Scholarship. He also won the Juilliard Composition Competition twice – in 1987 & 1989 – and as a result had his works performed at the Juilliard Theater and at Alice Tully Hall.
