Henry Simon Mazer ( – ), was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and later

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

ese conductor,

recording artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

who was the founding principal conductor and music director of

Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO; ) is a Taiwanese orchestra based in Taipei. History Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1985 by a group of enthusiastic musicians. It has come a long way under the direction of late American condu ...

from 1985 until suffering a stroke in February 2001. Prior to his move to Taiwan, he was the conductor and associate conductor of major American symphonies including the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

. He contributed greatly to the refinement of the performances of classical music in

, leading local musicians to gain recognition overseas. There is a cultural center dedicated to him in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

Biography

Born in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Mazer was educated at Duquesne University and at the

Carnegie Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

. Mazer chose conducting for his career early-on in his life, and became the protégé of renowned conductor Fritz Reiner. At Reiner's recommendation, Mazer conducted the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

from 1948 to 1958 and the Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando from 1958 to 1965. In 1966, Mazer was named Associate Conductor of the

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The ''Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra'' (''PSO'') is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Pittsburgh, Cultural District. History The Pittsburgh Sy ...

. Four years later, he received a last-minute invitation to stand-in with the Symphony when its conductor,

William Steinberg William Steinberg (Cologne, August 1, 1899New York City, May 16, 1978) was a German-American conductor. Biography Steinberg was born Hans Wilhelm Steinberg in Cologne, Germany. He displayed early talent as a violinist, pianist, and composer, ...

, was taken ill. Held at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

, the concert brought Mazer to the attention of Sir

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

, who later asked him to be his Associate Conductor of the

, a position he held for the next 15 years. During that time, he performed with internationally acclaimed musicians such as

Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American pianist.

, Isaac Stern, Andrés Segovia,

Rudolf Serkin Rudolf Serkin (28 March 1903 – 8 May 1991) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century. Early life, childhood debut, and education Serkin was born in t ...

, Robert Casadesus, and

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to Spiritual (music), spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throu ...

. Mazer conducted hundreds of subscription concerts for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, often substituting for Solti on short notice. Although initially described alongside Solti as the "new breed of virtuosi," not every review was positive: following his move to Taiwan, one Chicago critic described his performances as "dull readings." Mazer, however, would end up with no shortage of fans. In Chicago, however, he had seemed overshadowed by Solti, but was seen as dedicated and highly competent, taking on more ''avant-garde'' works neither Solti nor others would touch. Taiwan would be different. Mazer was first approached about coming to

as a guest conductor during his term with the Chicago Symphony and agreed to visit the country for four concerts in the summer of 1985. After the success of the concerts, Mazer took on the challenge of developing a new orchestra in Taiwan – the Taipei Sinfonietta (later, the

). "I could not help develop the Chicago Symphony Orchestra any further, whereas in Taiwan I could see plenty of development potential", he said. In 1990, Mazer brought the orchestra to perform in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

William Russo wrote: "The Sinfonietta is one of the finest groups of musicians I have ever heard". Gradually, such impressive reviews overseas would succeed in opening eyes back in Taiwan. During its image-building campaign abroad, the orchestra also toured

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

over the next couple of years, playing in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, and

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

. But the highlights of the various European concerts was their performance in

Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Great ...

ssaal, home to Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Following the performances, music critics in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

dubbed the orchestra a "wonder of Taiwan." After the Vienna trip, Mazer's orchestra enjoyed a surge in popularity back home in Taiwan. In addition, several CDs released by the orchestra met with brisk sales. The most recent overseas tour was in 1995 to New York and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. After the performance at the

Boston Symphony Hall Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts, opened in 1900. Designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, it was built for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the h ...

, Mazer received the greatest review of his career when

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

Richard Dyer Richard Dyer (born 1945) is an English academic who held a professorship in the Department of Film Studies at King's College London. Specialising in cinema (particularly Italian cinema), queer theory, and the relationship between entertainment ...

compared him to America's beloved

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

. "The way the Taipei Sinfonietta plays is a real tribute to Mazer's musicianship. They play with a glowing sound, a precision of intonation, an absolute unanimity of impulse, and a rare commitment," he added. Despite the international recognition, Mazer lead a very simple life while he was in Taiwan. He got along well with his

Taiwanese Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, ...

musicians, some of whom he worked with for a decade and were regarded as his own children. Mazer said he found Taiwanese musicians to be more disciplined than those in the West, and thus more satisfying to work with. "This wonderful island has given me the best musical experience of my life."

Recordings

*1950 - Henry Mazer conducting the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in "pops" favorites of the Ohio Valley. / 1950 / 12" Vinyl / Blackcrest Records *1962 – ''Infinite Journey, Wernher von Braun /

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

'' / Bach Festival Choir / Florida Symphony Orchestra / Various Artists *1992 – ''TPO Live 1: Music With Mazer'

various composers /

MusicBrainz
musicbrainz.org 2017 *1994 – ''TPO Live 4: Maestro Henry Mazer'

various composers /

MusicBrainz
musicbrainz.org 2017 *2003 – ''TPO Live 16'

various composers /

Awards

In addition to awards and international critical acclaim for his music and recordings, Mazer was noted in Chicago for his contribution to children's concerts, including the CSO's ''Petites Promenades'' Concert Series, which held several performances each year, sometimes in collaboration with Lady Solti and composer Irwin Fischer. Mazer had already been actively involved in youth musical education in Orlando through the

Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) is a music education program in Central Florida, consisting of six primary ensembles with nearly 300 student musicians. FSYO is the oldest operating youth symphony in the state of Florida and is believe ...

while conducting the Florida Symphony Orchestra. In Chicago, Mazer was put in charge of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's educational program and received press attention when asked to "revitalize" the CSO's youth concerts, working with Chicago's Junior League to raise funding for musical education. In addition to holding "miniconcerts" and lecturing in the

Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. ...

, Mazer helped bring "unprepared

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

children" to concerts. Mazer won a Special Award for Music Education in 1986 from then-Chicago Mayor Harold Washington.

In Literature

Mazer makes an extended appearance in Sir Yehudi Menuhin's then-widely read autobiography ''Unfinished Journey.''

Personal life

In Taiwan, through "steely strength" the energetic Mazer insisted on walking despite a serious injury and operation that "would have an ordinary person confined to a wheelchair forever." Although Mazer would be survived by several children from his marriage, Mazer lived alone in Taiwan after the death of his wife.

Museums

The Taipei Philharmonic and Henry Mazer Music and Cultural Center in Zhongzhen District in

was built in Mazer's memory. The lower level is dedicated to exhibits on the conductor. Visitors can view Mazer's former belongings, photographs, and listen to Mazer's music and videos on vinyl, CD, and DVD in listening rooms.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazer, Henry 1918 births 2002 deaths 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century Taiwanese musicians American classical musicians American male conductors (music) American music educators Carnegie Mellon University alumni Duquesne University alumni Musicians from Taipei People from Orlando, Florida Musicians from Pittsburgh Musicians from Chicago People from West Virginia Taiwanese classical musicians Taiwanese conductors (music) 20th-century male musicians American emigrants to Taiwan