Alois Kaiser

rdf:langString Alois Kaiser

rdf:langString Alois Kaiser

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rdf:langString Alois Kaiser (November 10, 1840 - 1908) was an American chazzan and composer, considered to be the founder of American cantorate. Kaiser was born in Szobotist (Slovak: Sobotište), Hungary. He received his early education in the religious school of the Vienna congregation under Dr. , and then studied at the Realschule and the in Vienna. From the age of 10, he sang in the choir of Salomon Sulzer, and in 1859, became an in , one of the suburbs of Vienna (now a part of Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, the 15th Viennese district). From 1863 to 1866, he was cantor at the Maisel Synagogue at Prague. Kaiser arrived in New York City in June, 1866, and in the following month was appointed cantor of the Oheb Shalom congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. He was for several years president of the . From 1895, he was honorary member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which in 1892 entrusted him and with the compilation of the musical portion of a , published in 1897. With , Moritz (Morris) Goldstein, and , Kaiser published the "" (1871–86, 4 vols. ), containing music for Shabbats and festivals. Of his other compositions may be mentioned: * "Confirmation Hymns" (1873) * "Memorial Service for the Day of Atonement" (1879) * "Cantata for Simchat Torah" (1890, with William Sparger; preface by Cyrus Adler) * "Souvenir of the Jewish Women’s Congress at the World's Columbian Exposition" (1893) Kaiser died in Baltimore on January 6, 1908, and is buried in Oheb Shalom Cemetery, Baltimore.