NOWAKOWSKI, DAVID (1848–1921), Russian choirmaster and cantor. Born in Malin near Kiev, Nowakowski went to Odessa at the age of 21. There he was choirmaster and assistant to Chief Cantor Nissan *Blumenthal in the Brody Synagogue; and then to Blumenthal's successor, Pinḥas *Minkowski. He trained the Brody Synagogue choir, long noted for its quality, and the 30 years during which he worked with Minkowski became a brilliant period in the development of synagogue music. He left printed works and hundreds of compositionsin manuscript which continued to be sung by many cantors and choirs. Two volumes of his work, Shirei David, were published during his lifetime: Sabbath Eve and Evening Services (1901) and Ne'ilah for the Day of Atonement (1895). He employed to a large extent the traditional chants of the cantors, integrating them into the choral sections.
Friedmann, Lebensbilder, 3 (1927), 41–43; Sendrey, Music, index.
[Joshua Leib Ne'eman]
Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.