1. The multicultural character of his music is a reflection of his life: Born and raised in Argentina, Golijov, 52, moved to Israel in 1983, then to the United States in 1986.
2. In his music, one hears many influences: klezmer, tango, Jewish liturgical music, Arabic and Spanish music, not to mention Eastern European folk music, raga and Baroque.
3. Winner in 2003 of a MacArthur "genius" award, he has collaborated with many well-known performers, including soprano Dawn Upshaw, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the chamber group eighth blackbird and major orchestras, including those in Chicago, Boston and Atlanta.
4. His best-known compositions include "Yiddishbbuk," "La Pasión según San Marcos" ("The Passion according to St. Mark"), "Ayre" and "Ainadamar."
5. He has been accused of plagiarizing portions of his piece "Sidereus" from composer Michael Ward-Bergeman's composition "Barbeich." Golijov has said that he jointly composed the original musical material for "Sidereus" with Ward-Bergeman, a friend, and used it with permission.
Contact Richard Scheinin at 408-920-5069, read his stories and reviews at www.mercurynews.com/richard-scheinin and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/richardscheinin
