Victor Feldbrill, (April 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020) was a Canadian conductor and

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

ist.

Early life and education

Feldbrill was born in Toronto,"Whatever happened to Victor … ?"
Jan 08, 2011. ''Hamilton Spectator '' the son of Polish Jewish immigrants, Helen (Lederman) and Nathan Feldbrill.
''Toronto Star'', By William Littler, March 28, 2014 In his teen years he played the violin and attended

Harbord Collegiate Institute Harbord Collegiate Institute (HCI or Harbord) is a public secondary school located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school is located in the Palmerston-Little Italy-Annex neighbourhood, situated on the north side of Harbord Street, betwe ...

. He joined the Navy in World War II, playing the violin in the Navy Show and studying part time at the Royal Academy of Music. He is a graduate of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

Career

Feldbrill performed as a violinist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1956. From 1958 to 1968, he was the principal conductor of the

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its primary concert venue is the Centennial Concert Hall, and the orchestra also performs throughout the province of Manitoba. The WSO presents an average ...

. In 1967 he conducted the Toronto Philharmonia in a recording of the album ''Heritage'', which featured music by Canadian composers. In 1969 he directed the CBC Festival Orchestra. That year he conducted the CBC Studio Orchestra in an adaptation of the music for the opera ''Louis Riel'', which was released years later as a DVD. From 1973 to 1978, he was the resident conductor of the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...

. In 1974, he founded the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and was its conductor until 1978. His students include Milton Barnes and Brian Jackson. In 1985, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

. In the 1990s he directed the Hamilton Philharmonic. In 1999, he was awarded the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official Award, honour in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the A ...

. In 2017 Feldbrill returned to conduct the Winnipeg Symphony for its 70th anniversary. He was 94. Victor Feldbrill died on June 17, 2020, in Toronto, at the age of 96.VICTOR FELDBRILL – Conductor, Violinist (Apr. 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020)
: ''Canadian Jewish Record''. Retrieved June 18, 2020.

References

Bibliography

External links

Victor Feldbrill
at

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available f ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Feldbrill, Victor 1924 births 2020 deaths Male conductors (music) Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario University of Toronto alumni Academic staff of the University of Toronto Canadian classical violinists Male classical violinists Musicians from Toronto Brock University alumni The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni 21st-century Canadian conductors (music) 21st-century classical violinists 21st-century Canadian male musicians Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent 20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers 21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers Canadian male violinists and fiddlers