Eugene Ormandy

Eugene Ormandy ( born November 18, 1899 in Budapest, † March 12, 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) with birth name actually Jenő Blau, was an American conductor and violinist of Hungarian origin.

His musical studies completed Ormandy at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. There he made at the age of eleven years with Jeno Hubay his exam as a violinist. At seventeen he became a professor at his alma mater and conductor of the Blüthner Orchestra after several tours. He emigrated to the USA in 1921 and where he took the name Eugene Ormandy. " Eugene" is the English equivalent of his Hungarian first name, but the origin of his name could never be deciphered, especially Ormandy himself has not commented on it. The luxury liner Normandie, with whom he allegedly traveled to the U.S. and is sometimes given as a source of inspiration was, on any view until 1935 in operation. In New York he worked as a violinist and later as a conductor for the Capitol Theatre Orchestra, an orchestra that accompanied silent films musically.

In 1931 he was given the management of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, a post which he held until 1936. Famous were his recordings of Anton Bruckner's 7th Symphony and Mahler's Symphony No. 2. His career was mainly supported by Arthur Judson, in the American music scene was playing a major role. From 1936 on, he was first assistant to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and received two years later, the chief baton. Under his leadership, the Philadelphia Orchestra earned an excellent reputation. Ormandy and the orchestra became one of the most recorded ensembles of recorded music history. He led the Philadelphia Orchestra until 1980.

Ormandy include the first performances of the Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber, of the 3rd piano concerto by Béla Bartók, the 5th Symphony by Howard Hanson, the 4th Symphony of Bohuslav Martinů and the Symphonic Dances by Sergei Rachmaninoff owe.

Ormandy got five Grammys during his career and is immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

  • Conductor
  • University teachers (Franz Liszt Academy of Music Budapest)
  • Carrier of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Grammy winner
  • Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • American musician
  • Hungarian musicians
  • Born in 1899
  • Died in 1985
  • Man
SS Normandie Minnesota Orchestra Symphony No. 7 (Bruckner) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) Grammy Award Integrated Authority File
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