The Conservatory:

About the Book

Like Ted Dalbotten’s previous books, Winterreise and Triptych – a Mystery (Part I, The Painting) which among other material dealt with various aspects of both the performing and non performing arts, the present volume – aside from its examination of the human condition – concerns itself particularly with musical matters, though not only performing issues. Since music has been the predominant activity of the author – now in his eighty fourth year – it was almost inevitable he would eventually seek to explore this aspect of his life in some extended fictional form and in some depth. Aside from his work as both dance and vocal accompanist, for the last twenty four years he has been involved in a small group calling themselves “Two Piano- Eight,” which meet regularly and of which he is one of the founding members. Their activity is reading through arrangements of mainly orchestral and chamber works for two pianos, eight hands to which he has contributed over seventy five of his own transcriptions of both large and smaller works.

About the Author

Ted Dalbotten was born in Fresno, California in 1922 and spent his youth on a farm there. He is the graduate of UC Berkeley in music (1946), The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre (1948), and earned a MA degree in Dance Education at Columbia Teachers College (1972) where he thought for many years as well as at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Till recently he has been employed as both vocal and dance accompanist. Over the years he has danced in the work of a number of choreographers, and during the last few has occasionally acted with the Instant Shakespeare Company.