Applebaum, Louis

Applebaum, Louis, Canadian composer, administrator, and conductor; b. Toronto, April 3, 1918; d. April 20, 2000. He studied in Toronto at the Cons, of Music and at the Univ., his principal mentors being Boris Berlin in piano and Willan, Leo Smith, and Mac-Millan in theory; he then pursued training in composition in N.Y. as a scholarship student of Harris and Wagenaar (1940–41). Returning to Canada, he served as music director of the National Film Board (1942–48), for which he composed scores for some 250 films (1942–60). He also served as music director of World Today films in N.Y. (1946–49). From 1955 to 1960 he oversaw the musical activities at the Stratford (Ontario) Festival, for which he composed much incidental music. He served as president of Group Four productions, makers of television documentaries and programs, from 1960 to 1966. From 1971 to 1980 he was executive director of the Ontario Arts Council. From 1980 to 1982 he was chairman of the Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee. He was interim artistic director of the Guelph Spring Festival in 1988–89, and also president of the Composers, Authors, and Publishers Assn. of Canada from 1988 to 1990, and its successor, the Soc. of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada, from 1990 to 1992. In 1977 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Applebaum’s long association with films and stage productions resulted in a particularly assured command in the composing of dramatic scores.