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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Death of Michael Antrobus | British Bandsman



Michael Antrobus (18 April 1943 - 23 October 2016)



Michael Antrobus — the former resident conductor of Black Dyke and a major musical influence on the Norwegian banding movement... at the age of 73 in Norway, where he moved in 1981 following a successful spell as Resident Conductor of Black Dyke Mills from 1978.

  rbarsrest British Bandsman

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Gerhard Wimberger (30 August 1923 – October 2016) was an Austrian composer and conductor.


Wimberger studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. His teachers were Cesar Bresgen and Johann Nepomuk David for composition, and Clemens Krauss and Bernhard Paumgartner for conducting. After World War II, in which he served in the army, he worked as vocal coach at the Vienna Volksoper, then as conductor at the Salzburg Theatre, before becoming a teacher for conducting and composition at the Mozarteum. Among his many pupils were Klaus Ager, Sergio Cárdenas, Dieter Lehnhoff, and Gerd Kühr. Wimberger also served as member of the directory of the Salzburg Festival, and as president of the Austrian Composers' Association AKM. He died in October 2016 at the age of 93.WIKIPEDIA Bio

 VIDEO: Gerhard Wimberger and his son and family in Salzburg and Puerto Vallarta. Song written by Gerhard Wimberger. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Vladimir Leyetchkiss August 8, 1934 - October 11, 2016


Evanston, Illinois... One of the last pupils of the great Heinrich Neuhaus, Vladimir Leyetchkiss began his piano studies in Baku, Russia and later studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Emigrating from Russia to the United States in 1974, Vladimir has built a reputation as a concert pianist, teacher and a transcriber, specializing in Russian and Romantic music. Leyetchkiss is a frequent performer on WFMT and has done several European tours. He has served as a juror in many piano competitions and appeared as soloist at national conventions of the American Liszt Society and the International Rachmaninoff Society.

 VIDEO Vladimir Leyetchkiss, piano Rec. 1991-07 (Chicago Public Library)
 

Sunday, October 16, 2016

American composer Donald H. White was 95...



Donald H. White (February 28, 1921 – October 4, 2016) was a 20th-century American composer. Donald White was born in Narberth, Pennsylvania in 1921. He studied Music Education at Temple University in Philadelphia and composition with Persichetti at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music (1946) and with Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music (1952). In 1947 he joined the faculty of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana where he was chairman of composition and theory studies (1948–81). He was the director of the school of music at Depauw from 1974-1978. He became the chairman of the music department at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington in 1980. White died at the age of 95 on October 4, 2016.

  WIKIPEDIA | Depauw.edu    VIDEO: "Ambrosian Hymn Variants" by Donald H White

Monday, October 10, 2016

Former MET Opera announcer PETER ALLEN dies at 96

Peter Allen (September 17, 1920–October 8, 2016) 

Mr. Allen, who presided over 29 seasons of broadcasts, said introducing performances was, except for his marriage, “the richest experience of my life.” N YTimes 

Peter Allen was an American broadcaster and radio announcer based in New York City. He was especially noted for his 29 years as announcer for the Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera. WIKIPEDIA

 Allen began his long tenure as announcer at WQXR radio in 1947. His connection with the Metropolitan Opera began in 1973 when he served as the backup for Milton Cross who had been announcing the Met's Saturday afternoon broadcasts since their inception in 1931. In 1975, after Cross's sudden death, Allen took over as announcer for the Met and continued in the job until 2004.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sir Neville Marriner, CH, CBE (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English conductor and violinist.


Marriner was born in Lincoln, England, and studied at the Royal College of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. He played the violin in the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Martin String Quartet and London Symphony Orchestra, playing with the last two for 13 years. He later formed the Jacobean Ensemble with Thurston Dart before going to Hancock, Maine, in the United States to study conducting with Pierre Monteux at his school there. In 1958, he founded the Academy of St Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra and recorded copiously with them. Marriner was the first music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, from 1969 to 1978. From 1979 to 1986, he was music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. He was principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1989. Marriner recorded for various labels, including Argo, L'Oiseau Lyre, Philips and EMI Classics. His recorded repertoire ranges from the baroque era to 20th century British music, as well as opera. Among his recordings are two CDs of British music for Philips Classics with Julian Lloyd Webber, including acclaimed performances of Benjamin Britten's Cello Symphony and Sir William Walton's Cello Concerto. Marriner also supervised the Mozart selections for the soundtrack of the 1984 film Amadeus. He was chairman of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra until 1992, when he was succeeded by Malcolm Latchem. Marriner held the title of Life President. He was the father of the clarinettist Andrew Marriner, principal clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra.

VIDEO: The Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded by the now legendary conductor Sir Neville Marriner in 1958. Watch to find out a little more about Sir Neville and his relationship with the Academy, whilst enjoying the Academy's performance of the opening to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner in April 2014. Read more about Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy at: http://www.asmf.org/sir-neville-marri...