MARTIN HALPERN

HALPERN--Martin, died in his sleep at home on September 10, 2023, at 93. He was an accomplished poet, playwright, and composer, and a professor emeritus of playwriting and dramatic literature at Brandeis University. Born in New York and raised in the Bronx, he earned a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in English from Harvard. While a student he played in bands in the Catskills, and during his military service he entertained the troops by hosting a country music radio show. After retiring from teaching in 1994, he earned an M.A. in music composition from Queens College, and launched a second career as a composer, writing works for small chamber groups and numerous chamber operas based on his own plays and those of Ibsen, Chekhov, and the ancient Greeks. He was a fine cook, a tennis player, and a flutist who loved playing chamber music at family gatherings for many years. He was a lifelong baseball fan and a devoted coach to his son's little league team. He brought to all his projects a unique blend of intelligence, spirituality, humor, and art. Martin is survived by his wife Barbara Underwood, children Andrew Mackintosh, Jessica Halpern, and Robert Underwood-Halpern, and grandsons Danny and James Busato. A memorial service will be held on October 22 at 1:30pm at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. Donations in his memory may be made to Amnesty International or the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.