Norman Carol

Norman Carol in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra playing The Skrowaczewski Violin Concerto

Norman Carol (born July 1,1928) is an American violinist and concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 29 years under the baton of conductors Eugene Ormandy, Ricardo Muti, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. Stanislaw Skrowaczewski’s Violin Concerto was dedicated and premiered by Carol with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Early life and education

Carol was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Russian immigrants Anna and Max Carol. He began his violin studies with Sascha Jacobinoff at 6 years of age. Carol gave his first concert of a Mozart concerto at the age of 9. At the age of 13 he was accepted at the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied under Efrem Zimbalist. In 1946 and 1947, Carol was the concertmaster of the student orchestra at Tanglewood. While at Tanglewood he was concertmaster when Leonard Bernstein conducted the American premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes.Serge Koussevitzky was in the audience at a different concert and heard Carol play Édouard Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole and after the concert asked if he would join the Boston Symphony in the first violin section. Norman Carol was only 17 years old at the time.

Career

Soloist Norman Carol performed over the country billed as a child soloist. He recorded with Florence Weber on piano at age 9 in the studios of WIP in Philadelphia.

New Orleans Symphony After three years with the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky and Charles Munch, Carol was drafted by the Army during the Korean war and served at the Presidio in San Francisco alongside other musical luminaries such as Andre Previn and Chet Baker in the 6th Army Band and played a solo for Arthur Fiedler and San Francisco Pops. After his discharge in 1955, Carol was hired by Alexander Hillsburg where he was the concertmaster from 1956 to 1959. He met his wife while stationed there, and they married in 1952.

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra Carol was hired as concertmaster of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra by Antal Dorati in 1958 and from 1960-1968 under the baton of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.

Philadelphia Orchestra In 1961 Carol joined the Philadelphia Orchestra by invitation of Eugene Ormandy to be his concertmaster. Carol remained in Philadelphia for 29 years serving as concertmaster for Riccardo Muti and Wolfgang Sawallisch. In 1973, Richard Nixon arranged for the orchestra to visit China. While in China, Norman conducted master classes and represented the orchestra to Madame Mao. During his tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Carol also held a faculty appointment at the Curtis Institute of Music for over 40 years. After his retirement, • Performed and recorded with a chamber music ensemble, the Philadelphia Piano Quartet, for 11 years.

Discography

Ein Heldenleben, op. 40.

• Format: LP
• Label: RCA Records
• Performers:Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Norman Carol, Concertmaster
• Release Date: 1980

Scheherazade : symphonic suite, op. 35

• Format: LP
• Label: RCA Red Seal
• Performers: Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Norman Carol, Concertmaster
• Tracks: The sea and Sinbad's ship (10:24) -- The story of the Kalender prince (11:51) -- The young prince and the young princess (11:35) -- Festival at Bagdad ; The se and the ship goes to pieces on a rock surmounted by a bronze warrior ; Conclusion (13:15).
• Release Date: 1973