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A longer form Resume with
more complete theatrical and musical credits (open in a new window)
Adrian has relocated to the Chicago area where he is now serving as Bnai Mitzvah tutor for Beth Emet-The Free Synagogue in Evanston, IL and at B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Deerfield, IL. He is also an Early Childhood Music Specialist for the JCCs of Chicago, serving several sites including Horwich & Kaplan JCCs, as well as at Am Shalom. Adrian sometimes does music for Hakafa in Glencoe, IL, and B'nai Tikvah in Deerfield, IL. During the summer of 2012, Adrian was the Shira and T'fila specialist at the Ramah Day Camp in Wheeling, IL. In May 2011, he relocated back to his home town, New York City, after three decades away, to assume a position as Music Teacher for the Lower School of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in Manhattan. In addition to these activities, Adrian works as a consultant to Jewish educators on implementing and using technology, editing some upcoming Jewish textbooks, giving workshops and presentations, and other Jewish activities. He currently writes a column on technology uses in Jewish education for the Torah Aura Productions Bulletin Board, TAPBB.
Summer 2011 he was the Jewish Music Specialist for the 92nd St. Y's Camp Yomi day camp. In the spring of 2011, he served the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York City as substitute music teacher and service leader while their cantor was on leave.
Adrian spent Summer 2010 at the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute Camp in Oconomowoc, WI as Media Specialist.
Adrian lived in Amherst, Massachusetts from the fall of 2008 to the spring of 2011. He served area synagogues and Jewish institutions in a variety of roles. From March-June 2010 he served as Acting Religious School Principal for Jewish Community of Amherst while the Director was on sabbatical. He also substitute taught at the Lander-Grinspoon Academy - the Solomon Schechter School of the Pioneer Valley.
From 2003-2008, while living in the metro DC area, Adrian
was Director of Educational
and Congregational Life at
Bethesda Jewish Congregation,
working with Spiritual leader and Kol Bo, Hazzan (now Rabbi) Sunny Schnitzer. His
(more than) tripartite role there combined the various tasks of religious school
director, synagogue management, along with musical and liturgical activities.
He also co-directed the Shir Tze'ir Jewish Teen Choir of Alexandria, VA and is taught Confirmation classes at
Agudas Achim Congregation
in
Alexandria.
Adrian played piano for the monthly first
Friday Kolot
Shabbat musical services at Beth
El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, VA., where he
served as Director of Education until assuming his role at Bethesda Jewish
Congregation. He performed and accompanied around the greater DC area with
diverse groups including the Kol NoVa-the Jewish Community Youth Choir of Northern Virginia
and the Olam Tikvah Chorale, both under the direction of
Carol Boyd Leon.

Adrian is co-producer, editor, arranger and accompanist on the 70 song songbook and 2-CD collection from Carol, entitled Gan Shirim, published by KTAV.
From 1997 to 2001, Adrian edited Bim Bam, a weekly fax newsletter for Jewish teens produced by Torah Aura Productions. Adrian returned as Bim Bam editor for the 5765 (2004-5) school year and was the editor of the retargeted C.Ha. through 2007, when it was retired from publication
Adrian served as an instructor for the Introduction to Judaism Course offered in Northern Virginia by the Union for Reform Judaism Mid-Atlantic Council.
Adrian was Conference Chair for CAJE 27, held from August 4-8, 2002, at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. He has served on the national Board of Directors of CAJE (the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education). He was co-chair for the evening program at the 26th annual CAJE conference, August 5-9, 2001 at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, reprising a role he played for CAJE 23 in San Antonio. He is well known in the contemporary Jewish music scene. He has accompanied Fran Avni, Debbie Friedman, Sam Glaser, Nancy Linder and other Jewish artists.
Adrian coordinated musical entertainment for the Washington Jewish Folk Arts Festival, December 2003, November 2004, 2005 and 2006. He co-produced the Washington DC area Jewish Community's "350 Years of Jewish Music in America" and "Israel at 60" mass choir concerts at the Strathmore Concert Hall.
Adrian is also the perpetrator of the Hanashir email discussion list for Jewish songleaders, singers, songwriters, music educators, cantors, composers, etc. and also manages the affiliated Hava Nashira web site. In addition he performs Jewish music with various artists.
Before his time in the DC Metro area from 2001-2008, Adrian was teacher of Judaica and Hebrew (1st and 2nd Grade) and Music (K-6) at Nashville's Jewish Day School, Akiva School. He served as Music Director at Congregation Micah, Brentwood, TN. He was also on staff at Camp Davis of the Gordon JCC of Nashville.
Adrian writes a weekly musing on the parashat hashavua which can be found on his musings page and in his musings archive.
Adrian is a native of New York City, graduate of the Bronx High School of Science ('73), and holds a BFA in theatrical production and management from the School of Design & Production of the North Carolina School of the Arts ('77). He is also an accomplished musician and pianist, having studied 14 years pre-college first at The Juilliard School and then the Manhattan School of Music. He received his Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt University Divinity School in May 2000.
Adrian now works full-time in Jewish Education, Music & Drama. Prior to this, he spent a significant number of years working in theatrical production and management. His theatrical production experience covers the full spectrum - producer, director, designer (lighting, scenery, and audio), stage & production manager, technical director, musical director, et al. Adrian managed performing arts centers in Elkhart, Indiana (1981-88) and Fargo, North Dakota (North Dakota State University's Festival Concert Hall) (1988-98.) He also worked as a freelance designer and production generalist. In Fargo Adrian also served as Music Director and as Director of Religious Education for Temple Beth El.
Summer 2000, Adrian taught theatre camp and served as Drama specialist at the Nashville JCC's Davis Summer Camp. In summer 1999 he also worked at the JCC camp, teaching theatre, community service and circus camps. The previous two summers he was the Media Specialist at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute Camp, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
In the late 70s, Adrian spent several years as a member of a Dixieland band, The New Dixie Zing Kings, which performed and appeared in Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; and Clearwater, FL.
Adrian is a member of ASCD, NATE and the GTM
Adrian lives in Deerfield, IL.
Adrian is available for hire as a solo performer, pianist, lecturer, songleader, workshop facilitator, accompanist, musical director, consultant, theatrical designer or manager. See the Services for Hire page to find out about the many Musical Services, Jewish Education Services, Theatrical Services and PowerPoint Presentation creation services available.
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About Me Things I Like
People I Admire My Computers & Software
My Musical Equipment
You can see pictures of some of my lighting and scenic designs.
Born 4/3/55, Bronx, NY
Attended PS 152 Manhattan, Horace Mann School, Bronx HS of Science
Studied Piano at the pre-college divisions of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music.
Master of Theological Studies, Vanderbilt University Divinity School, May 2000.
Graduate of the School of Design and Production, North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA, '77)
I have resided, at various times, in all of these places: New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, & Brooklyn), Richmond, VA; Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; Clearwater, FL; Elkhart, IN; Fargo, ND; Nashville, TN; Alexandria, VA; Boyds' MD; Amherst, MA
Judaism
Jewish Music written and/or performed by (in no particular order:) Debbie Friedman (z"l,) Jeff Klepper and Dan Freelander (Kol B'Seder,) Julie Silver, Sam Glaser, Joe Black, Doug Cotler, Raquel Pomerantz Gershon, Craig Taubman, Abie Rotenberg (Dvekus,) Karen Daniel, SAFAM, Regesh, Michael Isaacson, Ben Steinberg, Fran Avni, Judy Caplan Ginsburg, Steve Dropkin, Marshall Portnoy, Lisa (Silverstein) Zur, Steve Brodsky, Robbi Sherwin, Larry Milder, Carol Boyd Leon, Mark Bloom, Shirona, Beth Shafer, Josh Nelson, Michele Citrin, Joanie Leeds, Neshama Carlebach, Scott Leader, Rick Recht, Todd Herzog and a host of others.
Jewish Education
Computers (I'll even use a Mac if I really have to.)
Classical Music
Opera
Dixieland Jazz
American Musical Theatre (from Annie to Zorba)
Gilbert & Sullivan
Tom Lehrer and Allan Sherman
Classic and "Hard" Science Fiction
The comics (especially Dilbert, Peanuts and Doonesbury. I sure miss Pogo.)
Magazines and Newspapers I Read:
Television Shows I Watch (or watched) with Some Regularity (in no particular order)
Glee (Fox)
House (Fox)
Warehouse 13 (SyFy)
Eureka (SyFy)
Fringe (Fox)
Caprica (SyFy)
Stargate: Universe (SyFy)
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
Futurama (Comedey Central and Nick-Adult Swim)
Family Guy (Fox/Cartoon Network)
American Dad (Fox/Cartoon Network)
Bob's Burgers Fox/Cartoon Network)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Ice Road Truckers (Discovery)
NOVA (PBS)
Pawn Stars (History)
Ice Road Truckers (History)
American Pickers (History)
Hollywood Treasures (SyFy)
V (original and remake)
Stargate: Atlantis (SciFi)
Boston Legal (NBC)
ER (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Heroes (NBC)
Farscape (SyFy)
Enterprise
Tripping the Rift
Battlestar Galactica (SyFy)
The 4400 (USA)
Stargate SG:1 (SyFy)
Things I Don't Much Care For:
Intolerance
Poor Customer Service
Political Correctness
Interfaith dialog that ignores fundamental differences between religions
Guns and weapons
Fundamentalists of all kinds (conservative & liberal)
Snobbery and Elitism
My Former Cats, Shiprah and Puah (I miss them!)

Things I like and collect
Lighthouses (and Miniatures)
(Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota)
Sponge Bob Squarepants
Go to Top My Computers & Software My Musical Equipment
People I Admire and Who Have Made a Difference in My Life:
My parents, Alvin (z"l) and Goldie, and my sister Lesley
My cousin Sheila
Joel Grishaver (Torah Aura Productions)
Carol Starin
Rabbi Stephen Forstein
Evelyn Koch (Akiva School, Nashville, TN)
Reb Nachman of Bratslav
Elena Powstuck-Wolkonsky (my piano teacher at the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music)
Cynthia Auerbach (z"l) (my mentor, Manhattan School of Music, New York City Opera)
Jerry Sherk (Manhattan School of Music)
Max Devolder, Scott Templin, John Sneden (North Carolina School of the Arts)
Jerry Kaye (Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute)
Joseph M. Beickman (z"l) (Concord Community Schools)
Bill Flynn (United States Institute for Theatre Technology)
Bill Blain (North Dakota State Univeristy)
Debbie Friedman (z"l)
Jeff Klepper, Dan Freelander, Craig Taubman, Merri Arian, Ellen Dreskin, Danny Maseng
All who Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with their God.
HP 7060 Photosmart Media Center PC running Windows XP MCE, Office XP Pro
HP dv4032 Laptop running Windows XP
Gateway Performance P1400 running Windows XP Pro, Office XP Pro
Current Cell Phone: Motorola DROID
Old Cell Phone: Morotola Q9c SmartPhone
Old PDA: HP iPaq 4355
Old PDA: Handera 330
Printers: Konica Magicolor 2400W, Canon Pixma MX882
Scanner: Epson Perfection V500 Photo
Software I Use and Like:
Google Apps for Your Domain (Premium Edition)
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
GoodSync
Foxmarks
Microsoft Office 2003: Outlook, Word, Excel, Publisher, FrontPage, PowerPoint, Access
Microsoft Internet Explorer
AIRoboform
Davkawriter Platinum
Quicken (Premiere Home & Business)
TurboTax
Tweetdeck (Desktop and Chrome editions)
Hebrew Calendar
Libronix Digital Library System/Logos Library
WinZip
WS_FTP
Finale 2011
Sonar X1b Producer Edition
Norton Systemworks
E-mail Templates for Outlook
Rhapsody
Live365
BookCAT
iTunes
eMusic
Remember the Milk
Evernote
TuneBite
Software No Longer Around I Really Liked
Lotus Agenda
ECCO Professional
My Studio and Musical Equipment
Steinway Studio Upright Piano (manufactured 1968)
Roland RD-700 Digital Stage Piano
Roland KB-300 Keyboard Amplifier
Yamaha DGX-300 76-key keyboard
Roland EP-75 Electronic Piano
Yamaha NP-60 Piagerro Keyboard
Yamaha PSR-450 61-key Keyboard
Marantz PMD 670 Compact Flash Recorder
Samson Zoom H-4 Digital Field recorder
Sonar X1 Producer Edition Software
Finale 2011 Software
M-Audio Firewire 410 Interface
M-Audio StudioPhile BX5a monitors
Presonus Firepod
RTA Producer Station
Countryman Isomax Headworn Mic
Antares Auto-Tune
Audio-Technica Single Point Stereo Microphone
Microsoft Zune
My Favorite Android Apps
Twidroyd Pro (Twitter Client)
Evernote
Grocery IQ
Roboform
Astro
Foursquare
Dropbox
NYTimes
Thinking Space (Mind mapping)
Rhapsody
Google Music Manager
Send Me a Message: Adrian A. Durlester
Last Updated 02/01/13