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{{Short description|German-American violinist and conductor (1926–1992)}}
'''Werner Torkanowsky''' (born on March 30, 1926; died on October 20, 1992) was a successful German [[Conductor (music)|conductor]] in both the concert hall and opera house.
'''Werner Torkanowsky''' (March 30, 1926 - October 20, 1992) was a German-American [[Conductor (music)|conductor]], [[composer]] and [[violinist]].


== Career ==
He was born in Berlin, Germany, and raised on a [[kibbutz]] in Israel, coming to the United States in 1948 to study the violin. From 1954 to 1958, however, he studied conducting under [[Pierre Monteux]]. Following his debut with the Ballets Espagnoles, he became Music Director of [[Jerome Robbins]]'s "Ballet USA."
Torkanowsky was born in Berlin, Germany. His parents immigrated to Israel when he was 6 years old where they raised Torkanowsky on a [[kibbutz]].<ref name=SUN/> He moved to the United States in 1948 to study violin with [[Raphael Bronstein]] and from 1954 to 1958, he studied conducting with [[Pierre Monteux]]. Following his debut with the Ballets Espagnoles, he became music director for [[Jerome Robbins]]'s "Ballet USA."


In 1959, Torkanowsky made his debut with the [[New York City Opera]], with Gian Carlo Menotti's ''The Medium'', with [[Claramae Turner]] in the name part. The next year, he led ''The Consul'' with the company. It was around that time that he was conductor for a film of that opera, starring [[Patricia Neway]] and [[Chester Ludgin]]. (It went unseen until 2004, when it was released by VAI on DVD and Compact Discs, to much acclaim.) He returned to the City Opera in 1962 for, again, ''The Consul''.
After receiving the Naumburg Award in 1961, Torkanowsky made his debut with the [[New York Philharmonic]] and the [[New York City Opera]], where he conducted [[Gian Carlo Menotti]]'s ''[[The Medium]]'' and ''[[The Consul]]'', for which he also served as conductor for a film of the opera, starring [[Patricia Neway]] and [[Chester Ludgin]]. He went on to conduct many major orchestras, including those in Israel, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, as well as [[Samuel Barber]]'s opera ''[[Vanessa (opera)|Vanessa]]'' at the [[Spoleto Festival]].


From 1963 to 1977, Torkanowsky was music director and chief conductor of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra. He also conducted performances of [[Arrigo Boito]]'s ''Mefistofele'' with [[Norman Treigle]], for the [[San Diego Opera]] (1973) and [[Seattle Opera]] (1974). In 1981, he was named director and chief conductor of the [[Bangor Symphony Orchestra]] in Maine, where he remained until he succumbed to cancer on October 20, 1992 in [[Bar Harbor, Maine]], at the age of sixty-six.<ref name=SUN>{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-10-22-1992296053-story.html |title=Werner Torkanowsky, conductor |last=Times |first=NY |date=October 22, 2023 |website= |publisher= |access-date=March 17, 2023 |quote=}}</ref> Following his death, the Symphony published a double Compact Disc set of various performances dating from 1989 to 1992.
In 1961, Torkanowsky first led the [[New York Philharmonic]] as guest conductor, and was to make his first recording with that ensemble: [[George Rochberg]]'s dodecaphonic Second Symphony, for Columbia (c.1962), which was released by CRI on Compact Disc, in 1997.


His son, David Torkanowsky, is a jazz performer in New Orleans.
He went on to conduct many major orchestras, including those in Israel, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, as well as at the [[Spoleto Festival]] ([[Samuel Barber]]'s ''Vanessa'', 1961).

From 1963 to 1977, he was Music Director and Chief Conductor of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, with whom he made an album for Orion in December 1971. On that recording were works by [[Carlisle Floyd]], [[Alan Hovhaness]] (''Fra Angelico'') and [[Ned Rorem]] (''Lions''). The Floyd compositions were three excerpts from his "solo cantata on biblical texts," ''Pilgrimage'', with [[Norman Treigle]]. He also conducted performances of Boito's ''Mefistofele'' with Treigle, for the [[San Diego Opera]] (1973) and [[Seattle Opera]] (1974).

In 1981, he was named Music Director of the [[Bangor Symphony Orchestra]] in Maine, where he remained until he succumbed to cancer at the age of sixty-six. Following his death, the Symphony published a double Compact Disc set of various performances dating from 1989 to 1992. Included are Beethoven's ''Die Weihe des Hauses'', Tchaikovsky's ''Roméo et Juliette'', Sibelius' Symphony no.2 (his final performance with the ensemble), Ravel's ''Daphnis et Chloé'', Schuman's ''New England Tripych'', Balada's ''Fantasias sonoras'', as well as his own composition, ''3 Movements for Maine''. His son, David Torkanowsky (born in 1956, from the first of his three marriages), is a jazz performer in New Orleans.


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
* [http://www.phoebusapollo.com/stayinginshape.htm "Staying in Shape: A Violinist's Maintenance Notebook"], by Werner Torkanowsky, [http://www.phoebusapollo.com Phœbus Apollo Music Publishers], 1992. {{ISBN|0-9753953-1-9}}
* [http://www.phoebusapollo.com/stayinginshape.htm "Staying in Shape: A Violinist's Maintenance Notebook"], by Werner Torkanowsky, [http://www.keithbajura.com Phœbus Apollo Music Publishers], 1992. {{ISBN|0-9753953-1-9}}


==References==
==Further reading==
* "Maestro's Legacy," by Brian Morgan, ''OnStage'', Spring 2008.
* "Maestro's Legacy," by Brian Morgan, ''OnStage'', Spring 2008.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{YouTube|UJwjFSY2nmc|Werner Torkanowsky conducting an excerpt from ''The Consul''}}, with Patricia Neway and Chester Ludgin (1960).
* {{YouTube|UJwjFSY2nmc|Werner Torkanowsky conducting an excerpt from ''The Consul''}}, with Patricia Neway and Chester Ludgin (1960).

==References==
{{reflist|2}}


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[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:German conductors (music)]]
[[Category:German male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Musicians from Bangor, Maine]]
[[Category:Musicians from Bangor, Maine]]
[[Category:20th-century conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century German conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century German male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century German musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]

Latest revision as of 02:44, 2 July 2023

Werner Torkanowsky (March 30, 1926 - October 20, 1992) was a German-American conductor, composer and violinist.

Career

[edit]

Torkanowsky was born in Berlin, Germany. His parents immigrated to Israel when he was 6 years old where they raised Torkanowsky on a kibbutz.[1] He moved to the United States in 1948 to study violin with Raphael Bronstein and from 1954 to 1958, he studied conducting with Pierre Monteux. Following his debut with the Ballets Espagnoles, he became music director for Jerome Robbins's "Ballet USA."

After receiving the Naumburg Award in 1961, Torkanowsky made his debut with the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Opera, where he conducted Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium and The Consul, for which he also served as conductor for a film of the opera, starring Patricia Neway and Chester Ludgin. He went on to conduct many major orchestras, including those in Israel, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, as well as Samuel Barber's opera Vanessa at the Spoleto Festival.

From 1963 to 1977, Torkanowsky was music director and chief conductor of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra. He also conducted performances of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele with Norman Treigle, for the San Diego Opera (1973) and Seattle Opera (1974). In 1981, he was named director and chief conductor of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra in Maine, where he remained until he succumbed to cancer on October 20, 1992 in Bar Harbor, Maine, at the age of sixty-six.[1] Following his death, the Symphony published a double Compact Disc set of various performances dating from 1989 to 1992.

His son, David Torkanowsky, is a jazz performer in New Orleans.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • "Staying in Shape: A Violinist's Maintenance Notebook", by Werner Torkanowsky, Phœbus Apollo Music Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0-9753953-1-9

Further reading

[edit]
  • "Maestro's Legacy," by Brian Morgan, OnStage, Spring 2008.
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Times, NY (October 22, 2023). "Werner Torkanowsky, conductor". Retrieved March 17, 2023.
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