{"id":430,"date":"2013-02-04T19:22:41","date_gmt":"2013-02-04T19:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/?page_id=430"},"modified":"2013-03-28T14:53:11","modified_gmt":"2013-03-28T14:53:11","slug":"wso-maestri-conductors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/?page_id=430","title":{"rendered":"WSO Maestri\/ Conductors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maestri\/ Conductors<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Laszlo-Gati-conducting-traffic\"<\/a>A conductor of a modern orchestra is a true multi-tasker.\u00a0 One has to be a good leader, educator, fund-raiser, entertainer and most of all, a well-rounded musician.\u00a0 If the position is a combination of a conductor and music director, then the person\u00a0must also take on the tasks of planning and programming the orchestra\u2019s annual season and overseeing the educational component of the orchestra\u2019s structure. The Windsor Symphony Orchestra has been fortunate in its roster of passionate individuals who have nurtured the ensemble through the years. Pioneering conductors in Windsor deserve mention, although they predate the incorporation of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

H. Whorlow Bull, (ca 1920-1930)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Born in England, Whorlow Bull (1872-1938) was a devotee of choral and orchestral music in Windsor.\u00a0 He was a conductor and the music supervisor of the Public School Board in the 1920s.\u00a0 He conducted early concerts, especially for the Windsor and Walkerville Choral Society who performed with organ and small orchestras.\u00a0 An early WSO concert in February of 1939 was a memorial to him.<\/p>\n

Frederick G. Vallance (ca 1920-1930)<\/strong><\/p>\n

An English-born musician and violin maker, Fred Vallance (dates unknown) immigrated to Detroit, MI.\u00a0 According to contemporary accounts, \u201cMr. Vallance because of his experience in British orchestras of national fame, has been of great assistance in starting the Windsor group off on the right foot and advising his younger colleague [Peter C. Allan]\u201d (Munro, February 10, 1939).\u00a0 Vallance-made violins and bows are still used today and some are sold in vintage musical instrument auctions.\u00a0\u00a0 Vallance is listed as Associate Conductor of the early incarnation of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

Peter C. Allan, (ca 1930-1950)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Peter-C.-Allen-and-guest\"<\/a>A native of Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Peter Allan (dates unknown) was a noted band leader in the Windsor area in the 1940s and 1950s.\u00a0 Born into a family of musicians, he studied trumpet in Scotland.\u00a0 He founded several bands varied in musicianship and purpose, including a band for unemployed men which became the Knights Templar Band and assisted with the 21st<\/sup> Essex Fusiliers Regimental Band and the Essex-Kent Scottish Pipes and Drums.\u00a0 He also composed music for bands, some of which was published.\u00a0\u00a0 According to an audio interview of Windsor musician Celia Hardcastle in 1980, Allan formed a string quartet that played to great acclaim in the surrounding region, but was little-known in Windsor.\u00a0 Allan also formed a group of musicians from his band and string quartet that became the nucleus of the orchestra in a 1938 concert.\u00a0 Some time after that, Peter Allan left Windsor to return to Scotland.<\/p>\n

Ernest Rennie (ca 1930-1950)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ernest Rennie was a popular figure in Windsor and Chatham\u2019s music industry throughout the 1930s and War years.\u00a0 He ran a music shop and repaired instruments, but loved to bring musicians together to play for a good cause.\u00a0 He assembled an orchestra for Sunday night concerts at the Tivoli Theatre on Wyandotte Street in Windsor to raise funds to send care packages to troops overseas.\u00a0 Their repertoire mainly consisted of popular songs and light classics.\u00a0 The group once attempted to learn to play Rachmaninoff\u2019s Peter and the Wolf, <\/i>but in 1940, it wasn\u2019t quite up to the challenge.\u00a0 According to Hardcastle, the orchestra comprised of thirty musicians who appreciated Rennie\u2019s talents, which was little acknowledged in the wider community. (Hardcastle, <\/i>p. 57).\u00a0\u00a0 Sadly, Rennie was involved in a serious car accident, and a back injury stopped his conducting.<\/p>\n

Matti Holli (1947-1977)<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Matti-Holli-Sonny-Eliot\"<\/a>From a child musical prodigy to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra\u2019s longest-serving conductor and music director, Matti Holli (1916-1977) is a key figure in its history.\u00a0 Born in Finland, Holli showed early promise by the time his family immigrated to Windsor in 1923. \u00a0Holli studied musical theory, violin and piano at the Ursuline School of Music on Ouellette Ave.\u00a0 As a Grade 6 student, formed a small orchestra at the Ursuline School, as well as at his day school, Ada C. Richards School.\u00a0 At 16, he received the A.R.C.T. teacher\u2019s certificate from Toronto\u2019s Royal Conservatory. \u00a0As a teenager, he was able to work as a jobbing musician both at the local radio stations, CKLW and CBE Windsor and in the summers at the Bob-Lo Island amusement park dance hall.\u00a0He was multi-talented, and played violin, drums and brass as needed.<\/p>\n

Holli continued his music education nearby at the distinguished Detroit Conservatory of Music, where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees.\u00a0 He was an effective multi-tasker who also ran a musicians booking agency and ran at least two different dance bands, sometimes more. \u00a0Holli played violin with Ernest Rennie\u2019s group, and when Rennie could no longer conduct, Holli took over as leader of the group in 1946.\u00a0 As a long-term member of the local musicians union, he renamed the orchestra the Windsor Federation of Musicians Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

As well as his musical talent, Holli was an effective leader, teacher, mentor and administrator.\u00a0 He was able to persuade the Windsor city councillors to give the orchestra a grant, and shepherded the group to incorporation in 1947.\u00a0\u00a0 Holli established the WSO\u2019s first office at the Norton Palmer Hotel in downtown Windsor and helped to found the Windsor Symphony Society. In 1952, Holli co-founded a community orchestra in Wallaceburg, and conducted that orchestra for several years.\u00a0 He also established the Windsor Junior Symphony in 1957, and this became the International Youth Symphony.<\/p>\n

Always proud of his Finnish heritage, Holli was devoted to the music of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, whom he was able to visit in Finland in 1953.\u00a0 Holli was honoured to take part in a conductors\u2019 exchange with a Finnish orchestra.<\/p>\n

Some critics suggested that Holli\u2019s tenure at the WSO was too long, and as the WSO celebrated its 25th<\/sup> anniversary, it was suggested that fresh leadership was needed. However, Holli\u2019s dedication to his work with the WSO was evident through the years.\u00a0 Holli died unexpectedly of a heart condition on November 11, 1977, hours before he was to conduct a concert featuring the very young local violinist Lara St. John.\u00a0 Known locally as a \u201cgentle giant\u201d with his trademark bow tie, Holli\u2019s efforts on behalf of the cultural life of Windsor were appreciated by musicians and the public.<\/p>\n

Clifford Evens\u00a0 (1977-1979) <\/strong><\/p>\n

Clifford Evens (1921-1980) performed double duty as the conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (London, ON), and as interim conductor and advisor to the board of the WSO after Matti Holli\u2019s death.\u00a0 He was able to help the board with programming, even adjusting the lineup of music during the season in order to increase audiences and advising on guest musicians and conductors.\u00a0 Evens applied for the permanent post at the WSO, but the Board selected Laszlo Gati as the next conductor.<\/p>\n

Laszlo Gati (1979 \u2013 1985)<\/b><\/p>\n

Matti Holli\u2019s sudden death left a void of leadership with the WSO and a search was undertaken for a new conductor.\u00a0 A few guest conductors carried on the 1977-78 season, including a conductor with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Laszlo Gati (1925-), who performed with Canadian opera star Maureen Forrester.\u00a0\u00a0 Gati \u00a0was born in Romania, and his family moved to Hungary when he was young.\u00a0 Gati studied violin and viola and was an accomplished soloist in these instruments.<\/p>\n

Laszlo Gati had conducted the State Philharmonic Society of Hungary and was also head of symphonic and musical programming at Hungarian Radio in Budapest.\u00a0 Immigrating to Canada in 1957, Gati founded the Montreal Chamber Orchestra in 1959, and had conducted the Victoria Symphony Orchestra in British Columbia for 11 years before coming to Windsor.<\/p>\n

Laszlo Gati was a proponent of the educational work of an orchestra. George S. Gall, then Area Superintendent of the Windsor Board of Education endorsed Gati\u2019s work: \u201cMaestro Gati\u2019s infectious enthusiasm and his obvious love of young people provided the ingredients for a musical experience that was most exciting and enjoyable\u201d (November 16, 1979).<\/p>\n

He sought to expand the professional repertoire with a 1979-80 season which was rich in music from Slavic composers and challenging classics.\u00a0 It was his dream to transform the WSO as a \u201ccorporate orchestra,\u201d relying on corporate sponsors and service clubs to underwrite concerts.\u00a0Gati also developed the idea of sending smaller ensembles made up of WSO members to play in local factories and work spaces in partnership with local industry. Ill health caused Gati\u2019s early retirement from the WSO in 1985.<\/p>\n

Timothy Vernon (1985-1986) <\/strong><\/p>\n

Timothy Vernon (1948-) performed as the Acting Conductor and Music Director for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. \u00a0From British Columbia, Vernon studied piano and cello and as a teenager, was an organist for several Anglican churches in the area. He conducted his graduate studies in Vienna.\u00a0 Vernon was music director of the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s touring company at the time, and joined the music faculty at McGill University the same year he assisted the WSO after Laszlo Gati retired.<\/p>\n

Dwight Bennett (1986-1990)<\/b><\/p>\n

Dwight Bennett (1945-) was the Windsor Symphony Orchestra\u2019s first Canadian conductor.\u00a0 Having studied music at the University of Toronto, Bennett won numerous awards in his field. With experience conducting the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, he was also an instructor at Lakehead University.\u00a0 Bennett was a proponent of youth orchestras and he was co-founder and Music Director of the Thunder Bay Summer Music Camp. \u00a0Bennett has an extensive background in operatic conducting, including the Canadian Opera Company and he had recorded Canadian works for CBC with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

When appointed to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in 1986, Bennett also conducted the Thunder Bay Symphony for an additional two years.\u00a0 He had an ambitious mandate for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, which included employing only professional musicians, and increasing the number of core musicians from 10 to 20.\u00a0 He increased the number of performances, and even took the WSO on a tour. Unfortunately, these plans coincided with an economic downturn in the Windsor community.\u00a0\u00a0 Bennett left the WSO in 1990.\u00a0\u00a0 The orchestra is still comprised entirely of professional musicians.<\/p>\n

Susan Haig (1991-2001)<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Susan-Haig_conducting\"<\/a>In its 1990 search for a new conductor, WSO manager Mina Grossman-Ianni spoke of a desire to take the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in a new, audience-driven direction, with a style of conducting and presentation that encouraged conductors to turn towards the audience to talk about the musical works and the orchestra.<\/p>\n

Susan Haig, (1954- ) an energetic conductor from New Jersey was educated in liberal arts at Princeton University, holding Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Stony Brook University.\u00a0 Prior to joining the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in 1991, she was the popular associate conductor at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, working with Mario Bernardi. \u00a0 She also studied the viola, and her degrees are held in music, theory, composition and orchestral conducting.<\/p>\n

Haig guest-conducted a WSO classics concert in October, 1990 and was the first woman conductor to do so.\u00a0 She joined the WSO in 1991 as conductor, and then her title was changed to music director.\u00a0Haig took a collaborative approach to conducting as both guest and incumbent, stating that \u201clearning to rehearse well\u201d is important: \u201cThe error usually [for a conductor] is talking too much.\u00a0 The players are so capable that they just need a clear physical signal.\u00a0 \u2026To have [a conductor] stoop and say, \u2018no, I would like it to go this way\u2019 is so annoying, because then you feel like you\u2019re \u2026 doing this person on the podium the favour of playing it the way they want, as opposed to doing what the music demands.\u201d (Globe and Mail<\/i>, November 30, 1991).\u00a0\u00a0Haig studied with Toronto dancer\/choreographer Paula Thomson to improve her conducting skills, and continually studies languages in order to interpret music more fully, especially opera music.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights of Haig\u2019s debut season with the WSO was a performance of Beethoven\u2019s Ninth Symphony<\/i> coordinating several choral groups with the orchestra: the Elmer Isler Singers, the Windsor Symphony Chorus and the Windsor Classic Chorale.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the last notes … thundered \u2026 someone in the balcony leapt to his feet and cried out, not the standard and accepted \u2018Bravo!\u2019 but \u2018Wow!\u2019\u201d (Gervais, November 11, 1991).<\/p>\n

Susan Haig, although American by birth, is a proponent of new Canadian orchestral music and founded the Windsor Canadian Music Festival in 1997, which took place annually until 2011 with the cooperation of the WSO and University School of Music (see also Composers). Haig was committed to bringing the live orchestral experience to the community in small intimate concerts as well as at the large Chrysler Theatre, and engaging with the audience, including at the Art Gallery of Windsor.\u00a0 Haig remained with the WSO until the 2000-2001 season to conduct the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and work on other projects.<\/p>\n

John Morris Russell (2001-2012)<\/b><\/p>\n

\"John-Morris-Russell\"<\/a>John Morris Russell (1960 – ) joined the Windsor Symphony Orchestra as it continued its journey to the cultural heart of the community that had begun with Susan Haig and her predecessors.\u00a0 A well-respected pops conductor from the USA, Russell has distinguished himself with more classical fare as well.<\/p>\n

Born in Cleveland, OH, Russell was an enthusiastic music student in school, playing trumpet and appreciating all forms of music from Motown to Mozart. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in Massachusetts and a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Southern California. He has studied widely in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for example and the Pierre Monteaux School for Conductors in Maine.<\/p>\n

During his tenure at the WSO, Russell worked to de-mystify the role of a conductor and orchestra in the community.\u00a0 Like Haig, and even Holli before him, he engaged local musicians and performers, adults and children in concerts as performers.\u00a0 He held conducting workshops for musicians, music teachers and students. Working with the youth of Windsor-Essex was a priority for Russell, and he reignited Windsor\u2019s heritage of youth orchestras by coordinating the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra with WSO\u2019s Assistant Conductor, Peter Wiebe in 2004.\u00a0 A lasting legacy of this emphasis on music for children is the 2008 Juno-nominated CD recording of Peter and the Wolf & Last-Minute Lulu<\/i>. \u00a0Russell could often be found in area schools, meeting with students, and even allowed students to watch dress rehearsals of certain concerts.<\/p>\n

Russell also raised the profile of the WSO with frequent orchestra performances on CBC radio and television including a CBC-TV special, \u201cOpening Night\u201d which also won an award. Those efforts helped to inspire a downtown urban renewal for the cultural sector.<\/p>\n

Russell\u2019s success in reaching out to the youth and families of Windsor Essex has paid dividends with a younger demographic now attending concerts.\u00a0 In recognition of his efforts, Russell was named the Windsor Symphony Orchestra\u2019s first Conductor Laureate in 2011 when he returned to Cincinnati as Pops Conductor, and he has advised the WSO administration on the 2012-13 Season search for a new conductor.<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/param>\n<\/param>\n<\/embed>\n<\/object>\n<\/p>\n

Robert Franz (2013 – )<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>After a year-long search for a new candidate, Robert Franz was selected from among a field of over 150 applicants.\u00a0 Franz, (1969- ) was born in Kingston, New York, and initially trained as an oboe player.\u00a0 He studied music at the North Carolina School of the Arts, receiving his Bachelor of Music in Oboe performance in 1990 and his Master of Music degree in conducting in 1992.\u00a0 He furthered his education at conducting workshops in the Czech Republic, St. Petersburg (Russia), Nashville, TN, and took part in the 1997 Conductor Preview.<\/p>\n

Franz is known for supporting new music by contemporary composers, overseeing composer-in-residence programs at the Boise Philharmonic, and has worked with Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon and others such as Jake Heggie and Shulamit Ran. \u00a0\u00a0Franz is an enthusiastic promoter of music education and under his supervision, both the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra have been awarded the Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming.<\/p>\n

Franz is also an accomplished writer, and produces a regular blog, Building Bridges with Music<\/i>, which offers insights into the musical and education process through his work.\u00a0 He has also written a book for children, Stella\u2019s Magical Musical Tour of America, <\/i>which is packaged with a CD and is intended for use with children\u2019s symphony programs.\u00a0 Stella<\/i> tells the story of a young girl\u2019s adventure in a hot air balloon, and incorporates musical elements throughout the journey.<\/p>\n

Robert Franz is the WSO\u2019s new music director, as of July, 2013.\u00a0 He is also the Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic, Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, and Music Director of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera and Orchestra in Alaska.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maestri\/ Conductors A conductor of a modern orchestra is a true multi-tasker.\u00a0 One has to be a good leader, educator, fund-raiser, entertainer and most of all, a well-rounded musician.\u00a0 If the position is a combination of a conductor and music director, then the person\u00a0must also take on the tasks of planning and programming the orchestra\u2019s annual season and overseeing the Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/430"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=430"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2372,"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/430\/revisions\/2372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.windsorpubliclibrary.com\/engine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}