Nicholas Goldschmidt

Nicholas Goldschmidt, CC ( born December 6, 1908 in Tavíkovice / Moravia, † February 8, 2004 in Toronto ) was a Czech- Canadian conductor, music educator, pianist and singer.

Life

The great-nephew of Adalbert von Goldschmidt studied at the Vienna Academy of Music composition with Joseph Marx, piano with Paul Weingarten and singing with Corneille de Kuyper. He worked as a conductor in various cities of Czechoslovakia and Belgium, before he emigrated to the USA in 1937. He was from 1938 to 1942 director of the opera department of the San Francisco Conservatory and Stanford University, and then to 1944 at Columbia University.

At the invitation of Arnold Walter, he came to Toronto, where he was from 1946 to 1957, the first director of the Royal Conservatory Opera School. He also worked from 1949 to 1957 as director of the CBC Opera Company and from 1950 to 1957 as Director of the Opera Festival Association. He has conducted at this time thirteen opera productions, including Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro and Hansel and Gretel.

In addition, Goldschmidt was from 1950 to 1958 director of the summer school of the University of British Columbia, and from 1957 to 1962 director of the Vancouver International Festival. As head of the department for artistic performances of the Centennial Commission, he was responsible for the events of the Festival Canada 1967 ( on the occasion of the centenary of the British North America Act ) and founded in Ottawa Centennial Choir, which he directed until 1972.

1967 Goldschmidt was artistic director of the Edward Johnson Music Foundation. From 1968 to 1975 he was music director of the University of Guelph. Here he founded the Guelph Spring Festival, whose artistic director he remained biks 1987. During the festival, he conducted several operas Britten ( including the North American premiere of The Prodigal Son and the processing of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera), the and two widows of Bedřich Smetana, Acis and Galatea by Handel, the world premiere of Derek Healey's Seabird Iceland other. In 1976 he organized concert with works by Krzysztof Penderecki.

1984 Goldschmidt was artistic advisor to the Toronto International Festival, 1985 was appointed Director of the International Bach Piano Competition, 1989 Artistic Director of the International Choral Festival and in 1991 director of the Glory of Mozart Festival. 1993 and 2002 he organized the Joy of Singing International Choral Festival and the 2003 Benjamin Britten Festival.

Occasionally Goldschmidt also appeared as an oratorio and lieder singer, famous were his performances of Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, where he accompanied himself on the piano. He also gave master classes in singing; his most famous students were Jon Vickers and Maureen Forrester.

Goldschmidt received the Canadian Music Council Medal in 1976 and 1979, the National Music Prize of the University of Alberta. In 1978 he became Officer, 1989 Companion of the Order of Canada. 1983 honored him broadcasting the CBC with the three-part mission ' Nicholas Goldschmidt: Reminiscences. On his 80th birthday in 1988 a concert at the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto took place. In 1997 he received the Governor General 's Performing Arts Award.

  • Conductor
  • Singer
  • Classic pianist
  • Czech musicians
  • Canadian
  • Companion of the Order of Canada
  • Carrier of the Order of Ontario
  • Born in 1908
  • Died in 2004
  • Man
British North America Acts Acis and Galatea (Handel) Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Integrated Authority File
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