Ernest Bloch short biography

One of the most outstanding composers of the first half of the 20^th Century, Ernest Bloch studied violin with Eugene Ysaye and composition with Jaques-Dalcroze. Bloch’s music is always full of dramatic elements often influenced by religious themes. The outstanding successes of his compositions in the United States lead Bloch to settle there. Bloch was appointed Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and later assumed the similar position at the San Francisco Conservatory. Bloch was the holder of great numbers of distinguished honors: Honorary Doctorate at the Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Gold Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among others.