Tobias picker biography of michael

American composer

Tobias Picker (born July 18, 1954) is an American composer, pianist, and conductor,^[1] noted for his orchestral works Old and Lost Rivers, Keys To The City, and The Encantadas, as well as his operas Emmeline, Fantastic Mr.

Fox, An American Tragedy and Lili Elbe, among many other works.^[2][3][4]

Biography

1954–1975: Early years, influences, and education

Picker was born in New York City on July 18, 1954, the son of painter and fashion designer Henriette Simon Picker and news-writer Julian Picker, and the cousin of film executive David V.

Picker, businessman Harvey Picker, former CEO of The American Film InstituteJean Picker Firstenberg, art-patron Stanley Picker,^[5] filmmaker Jimmy Picker,^[6] and economist Kenneth Rogoff.

At the age of eight, he began composing and studying the piano:

I was raised by my teachers on a diet of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, S