User:Levinius/sandbox/Albert Grottel

Albert Grottel, (1934 - January 21, 2016) is Russian born conductor and choir master. He worked as the lead choir master in the Leningrad's Musical Comedy Theater, where he was in charge of choir arrangements for multiple productions, including "Krechinsky's Wedding" After immigrating to United States in 1980, he founded a succesful musical theater group "Minnesota Choral Theater" that has performed in Minnesota, as well as internationally in Russia, China and Scottland. Under his direction the group recorded multiple CDs and gave multiple performances well-attended by local community.

Early years and family
Albert Grottel was born in Saint Petersburg, Soviet Union in 1934. His father David Grottel was a prominent heart surgeon, a professor and one of the pioneers in the area of myocardial infraction research in Soviet Union. His mother Raisa Shvartsman was a music teacher in the Leningrad consersvatory. He had an older brother - Mark.

Grottel attended music school for gifted children that was associated with the convervatory, where he studied violin.

As the WWII broke out and the German army started approaching Leningrad, Albert was evacuated with his brother and mother to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His father stayed behind as he refused to leave the institute and the research he was working on.

Education
After the end of the war, he and his mother returned to Leningrad, where he graduated from the secondary school and then went on to attend a university seeking degree in music. Despite heavy state anti-semitism, he was accepted to the university on a sports scholarship, as he was a good athlete and played volleyball for the University team. He graduated in 1955