General Info:
Dr. Noreen Green is currently conductor and artistic director of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony ( LAJS ), music director at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, a renowned lecturer on Jewish Music, and an accomplished educator. In addition, she is a devoted wife and mother to her husband, Dr. Ian Drew and their two children, Aaron and Hannah. Since the orchestra's founding in 1994, she has brought neglected as well as new and familiar orchestral works on Jewish themes to the concert stage. She is known world wide for her knowledge and skill in presenting this material. On a personal level, the recognition she has received from the print and radio media has been overwhelming, with major articles in the LA Times, Daily News, and the Jewish Journal ; feature profiles in Lifestyles Magazine and in the Hadassah National Magazine, and a National Public Radio interview.Dr. Green has received public recognition for her outstanding contributions to the multi-cultural musical scene in Los Angeles by Congressman Brad Sherman ( August, 2005 ) and by the Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Live ( October, 2005 ). She has received the Jewish Cultural Star award presented by the National Foundation of Jewish Culture at The Jewish Image Awards ( October, 2005 ), the Golda Meir Award from The State of Israel Bonds ( May 2005 ), the Hall of Fame Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners ( March, 2003 ) and the Women of Significance Award from Adat Ari El Sisterhood ( April, 2000 ). She has been a featured speaker for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Upbeat Live series ( 2001 ) and conducted at the opening ceremonies of the 2001 Maccabi Games in Philadelphia. Dr. Green has been the guest conductor for Jewish Music concerts with the Rubin Academy Orchestra in Tel Aviv ( 2000 ), the Johannesburg Philharmonic ( 2003 ), the Jerusalem Symphony at the new performing arts center in Herzliyah ( 2004 ) and the R'aanana Symphonette ( 2004 ). The LAJS under the baton of Dr. Green, has performed in concert with Hollywood personalities including Billy Crystal, Tovah Feldshuh, Leonard Nimoy, Randy Newman, Theodore Bikel, Laraine Newman, Valerie Harper, Pat Boone, Lainie Kazan, Fyvush Finkel, Dave Koz, Marvin Hamlisch and more.During her tenure with the LAJS, Dr. Green, along with Education Director Ilzabeth Gilbert, has developed seven Education Programs initially funded by the New Innovate Grants division of the Jewish Community Foundation. Several of those grants have gone on to receive funding from the Righteous Persons Foundation, the Maurice Amado Foundation, The City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the Leonard and Susan Bay Nimoy Foundation and the Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership.Dr. Green received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting at California State University, Northridge under the well-known conductor John Alexander. From 1981 to 1990, Dr. Green was the conductor of the American Jewish Choral Society. As West Coast Music Director of the David Nowakowsky Foundation from1992-1998, Dr. Green presented an annual concert series of the Nowakowsky Chorale. She wrote her doctoral treatise on the music of Nowakowsky, and went on to edit many of his works, ten of which have been published by Laurendale.From 1986 to 1992, Dr. Green was an Assistant Professor at CSUN and in the summer of 1993, Noreen worked with conductor Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music School. With his support and encouragement, Noreen developed the concept for and then founded the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.