Maurice Abravanel, (January 6, 1903 – September 22, 1993), was a Greek-born Swiss conductor. January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ...

Abravanel was born in Saloniki (Thessalonica), Greece when it was still part of the Ottoman Empire. He came from an illustrious Sephardic Jewish family, which was expelled from Spain in 1492 (see Isaac Abrabanel). Abravanel's ancestors settled in Saloniki in 1517, and his parents were both born there. In 1909, they moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where his father Edouard de Abravanel was a very successful pharmacist. The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... 1492 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Don Isaac ben Judah or Yitzchak ben Yehuda Abravanel (Hebrew: יצחק בן יהודה אברבנאל) was a Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator, and financier. ... January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh: The Turkish forces of Selim I defeat the main Mamluk army in Egypt under Touman Bey. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura hills to its north. ... The mortar and pestle is an international symbol of pharmacists and pharmacies. ...

For several years, the Abravanels lived in the same house as Ernest Ansermet, the conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. The young Abravanel played four-hand piano arrangements with Ansermet, began to compose, and met composers such as Darius Milhaud and Igor Stravinsky. He was passionate about music, and knew he wanted a career as a musician. He became the pianist for the municipal theatre and music critic for the daily paper. Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (November 11, 1883 – February 20, 1969) was a Swiss conductor. ... The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Orchestra of French-speaking Switzerland, OSR) was founded in 1918 by Ernest Ansermet. ... Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (September 4, 1892 – June 22, 1974) was a French composer and teacher. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer best known for three compositions from his earlier, Russian period: LOiseau de feu (The Firebird) (1910), Petrushka (1911), and Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (1913). ...

Maurice's father, however, insisted on a career in medicine and sent him to the University of Zürich, where he was miserable, having to dissect corpses. He wrote to his father that he would rather be second percussionist in an orchestra than a doctor, and his father finally relented. The University of Zurich (in German: Universität Zürich) is the largest university of Switzerland, in the city of Zurich. ...

In 1922, during the depths of the depression of the Weimar Republic, Abravanel went to Berlin. Despite the difficult economic situation, Berlin supported three opera houses, which staged performances every night of the year. Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Richard Strauss and Otto Klemperer were all conducting opera in Berlin at this time. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Anthem: Das Lied der Deutschen The Länder of Germany during the Weimar Republic, with the Free State of Prussia (Freistaat Preußen) as the largest Capital Berlin Language(s) German Government Republic President  - 1919-1925 Friedrich Ebert  - 1925-1933 Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor  - 1919 Philipp Scheidemann  - 1933 Adolf Hitler... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Portrait by Emil Orlik, 1928 Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. ... Bruno Walter (September 15, 1876 - February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor and composer. ... Richard Strauss Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... Photographic portrait taken ca. ...

Abravanel became a student of the composer Kurt Weill, who had to accept up to 46 students to make ends meet. After a year of study, Maurice landed a job as an accompanist at the opera in Neustrelitz, just north of Berlin. At the time, this was a good career path towards becoming a conductor because the accompanist had rehearsed and coached the singers and would sometimes be called on to substitute when the conductor was unable to conduct at short notice. An album of Weills music by operatic soprano Teresa Stratas… …and one by industrial music band The Young Gods. ... Neustrelitz is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. ...

In 1924, the theatre in Neustrelitz burned down, and the four conductors found work elsewhere. The members of the orchestra asked Abravanel if he would conduct performances at the castle. He conducted orchestra concerts twice a week at the castle with no rehearsal. He even received some pay. 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1925, Abravanel received a position as choral director in Zwickau, in Saxony. He spent two years there, conducting the operetta repertoire. Because of his success in Zwickau, he was given a position as regular conductor at a better theatre in Altenburg. 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Zwickau is a city of Germany, in the Bundesland Saxony (Sachsen), situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge, on the left bank of the Zwickauer Mulde, 130 km (82 miles) southwest of Dresden, south of Leipzig and south west of Chemnitz. ... The Free State of Saxony (German: Freistaat Sachsen; Sorbian: Swobodny Stat Sakska) is a federal state of Germany. ... Altenburg is a town in the German Bundesland of Thuringia. ...

In Altenburg, he auditioned a young singer whose name was Friedel Schako, the daughter of the noted soprano Hedwig Schako. She was to become his wife. She later converted to Catholicism and changed her name to Marie.

After two years in Altenburg, Abravanel was appointed conductor at his first major opera house in Kassel. In 1931, the director of the Berlin State Opera saw him conduct a performance of Verdi's La forza del destino. He asked him to come to Berlin and conduct a performance at the Berlin State Opera. The orchestra was impressed and applauded Abravanel. This was important because at that time the orchestra decided whether a guest conductor would be asked to return. Abravanel became a regular guest conductor. Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome). ... Cover of first bilingual edition of the libretto of La forza del destino, St. ...

Because of the rise of Adolf Hitler, prominent Jewish musicians were being forced to leave Germany. Abravanel went to Paris with Kurt Weill in 1933. Hitler redirects here. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

In Paris, he worked with Bruno Walter. Walter was a friend of and authority on the music of Gustav Mahler. Walter recommended Abravanel as a guest conductor at the Paris Opera, and he was able to cast, rehearse, and conduct Mozart's Don Giovanni there. He also had the opportunity to conduct the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, the regular conductor of which was Pierre Monteux. Bruno Walter (September 15, 1876 - February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor and composer. ... This article cites its sources but does not provide page references. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... Don Giovanni (K.527) is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. ... Pierre Monteux (April 4, 1875 – July 1, 1964) was an orchestra conductor born in Paris, France. ...

He also met George Balanchine in Paris and conducted his ballets, as well as conducting the works of his old teacher and friend, Kurt Weill. George Balanchine (January 9 (O.S.) = January 22 (N.S.), 1904–April 30, 1983) was one of the 20th centurys foremost choreographers, and one of the founders of American ballet. ...

In 1933, anti-German sentiment forced Kurt Weill to leave for New York. The Abravanels left soon after, in 1934, for Australia. Maurice had been offered a chance to direct both the Melbourne and the Sydney opera. After a six-week journey through the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean, he arrived to be acclaimed as the "eminent continental conductor." NY redirects here. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Melbournes Yarra River is a popular area for walking, jogging, cycling, rowing and for relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced ) is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4. ... Ships moored at El Ballah during transit The Suez Canal (Arabic: ‎, translit: ), is a large artificial maritime canal in Egypt west of the Sinai Peninsula. ...

He conducted a 13-week season in Melbourne and a two-month season in Sydney with Verdi's Aida as the opener in both cities and a balanced selection of the standard repertoire, including Puccini, Wagner and Bizet. // Introduction This article is about the marketing term, AIDA. For other uses of the term, see Aida (disambiguation). ... Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire[1]. Some of his melodies, such as O mio babbino caro... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Georges Bizet. ...

In mid-spring of 1936, he received an offer from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to come and conduct the German and French repertoire. He was offered a three-year contract. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, seen from Lincoln Center Plaza A full house at the old Metropolitan Opera House, seen from the rear of the stage, at the Metropolitan Opera House for a concert by pianist Józef Hofmann, November 28, 1937. ...

He also conducted Kurt Weill's productions on Broadway. When Abravanel went to Utah, he knew that he wanted to build a permanent orchestra of his own. He was selected from a field of 40 applicants for the position with the Utah Symphony Orchestra and conducted it from 1947 to 1979, building it from a part-time community orchestra into a well-respected, professional ensemble with recording contracts with Vanguard, Vox, Angel, and CBS. He lobbied for years for a permanent home for the orchestra, which then performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square. He saw his dream come true when Symphony Hall was built, but not until the season after he retired. It has now been renamed Abravanel Hall in his honor. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... The Utah Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra located in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... The Salt Lake Tabernacle, known worldwide as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located in Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple. ... This photo of Temple Square, circa 1897, shows that the plot housed the tallest buildings in Salt Lake City at the time, namely the Salt Lake Temple, Tabernacle and Assembly Hall. ... Abravanel Hall is a concert hall in Salt Lake City, Utah that is home to the Utah Symphony and Opera, and is part of the Salt Lake County Center for the Arts. ...

Abravanel also directed the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, where young musicians gathered for summer music camps. He taught conducting at Tanglewood, where he was appointed artist-in-residence for life. Santa Barbara is a city in California, United States. ...

He is remembered for making the first-ever complete recording of the nine Mahler symphonies, as well as classic recordings of the Berlioz Requiem and works by Vaughan Williams. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1991. The Requiem (Op. ... Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, OM (October 12, 1872 – August 26, 1958) was an influential English composer. ... The National Medal of Arts is an award and title bestowed on selected honorees by the National Endowment for the Arts. ...

Abravanel died in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 90. The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ...

External links

• http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/utah_symphony_orchestra_.html
• http://www.onlineutah.com/abravanelhistory.shtml

Sources

• Durham, Lowell, Abravanel!, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1989.