Jacob Avshalomov was born March 28, 1919 in Tsingtao, China. His mother was from San Francisco while his father was a Siberian-born composer who resided in China.

In 1937 Jacob and his mother returned to the United States. He spent a year in Los Angeles, studying with Ernst Toch, before moving to Portland. In Portland he lived and studied with Lucia and Jacques Gershkovitch, met his future wife Doris, attended Reed College, and played percussion and cello in the Junior Symphony. He attended the Eastman School of Music, earning his B.M. and M.A. degrees.

During World War Two, Jacob was in London, where he conducted English madrigal groups and an international amateur chorus. Back in the United States, he transferred to the State Department in Washington D.C. thinking he would make a career there. However, after receiving a fellowship at Columbia University, he eventually earned a position on the music faculty, serving there from 1946 to 1954.

In that same year, 1954, he returned to Portland to conduct the Junior Symphony’s 30th Anniversary concert in February, and in June accepted the post as Conductor to succeed Jacques Gershkovitch. He completed his 40th and final season June 1, 1994.