The Canton Symphony Orchestra is an American
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
based in
Canton, Ohio. Founded in 1937,
the orchestra made its first performance on February 16, 1938, under the direction of Richard Oppenheim.
Louis Lane became its second music director in 1949. Gerhardt Zimmermann, the current music director, has directed the orchestra since 1980.
On June 2, 1974, the Canton Symphony Orchestra became a “metropolitan orchestra.”
History
The Canton Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1937 in
Canton, Ohio and became incorporated one year later in 1938.
The symphony’s first conductor, Richard Oppenheim, was invited to form the orchestra and held auditions to select the orchestra’s first musicians. Each musician was paid for their services at the beginning, which was uncommon for community orchestras at the time.
On February 16, 1938, the Canton Symphony Orchestra held its first concert at the City Auditorium for over 3,300 people.
The program featured
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
's ''Egmont Overture'',
Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
's Symphony No. 94 in G major “Surprise,”
Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
's ''Scheherazade'', and
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's ''Marche Slave''. Exactly 75 years later, the Canton Symphony Orchestra performed this same program in celebration of its 75th year anniversary.
On June 2, 1974, the Canton Symphony Orchestra achieved metropolitan status as it was no longer considered a community orchestra.
The conductor of the time, Michael Charry, accomplished this by increasing their annual performances from seven to twenty-one, some of which were children's concerts.
Charry also increased the annual budget and involved fourth and fifth grade students in their programming.
In July 13, 2014, the Zimmermann Symphony Center opened, with the Canton Symphony Orchestra residing there. Before its construction, the administrative staff worked in a windowless office at the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts while the musicians prepared for concerts in the McKinley High School.
Music directors
* Richard Oppenheim (1937-1949)
*
Louis Lane (1949-1961)
* Michael Charry (1961-1974)
*
George Szell
George Szell (; June 7, 1897 – July 30, 1970), originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer. He is widely considered one of the twentieth century's greatest condu ...
(... -1971)
*
Robert Marcellus
Robert Marcellus (June 1, 1928 – March 31, 1996) was an American classical clarinetist and teacher. Marcellus is best known for his long tenure as principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Biography
Robert Marcellus was born in Omaha, N ...
(1971-1976)
* Thomas Michalak (1976-1980)
* Gerhardt Zimmermann (1980–present)
References
External links
The Canton Symphony Orchestra's official websiteWorking History of Canton Symphony
Culture of Canton, Ohio
Musical groups established in 1937
Orchestras based in Ohio
Tourist attractions in Canton, Ohio
1937 establishments in Ohio
{{US-orchestra-stub