Victor Feldbrill, OC OOnt (April 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020) was a Canadian conductor and violinist.
Victor Feldbrill | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1924 Toronto, Ontario |
| Died | June 17, 2020 (aged 96) Toronto, Ontario |
| Occupation(s) | Conductor, musician |
| Instrument | Violin |
Early life and education
editFeldbrill was born in Toronto,[1] the son of Polish Jewish immigrants, Helen (Lederman) and Nathan Feldbrill.[2][3] In his teen years he played the violin and attended Harbord Collegiate Institute.[4][5][2] He joined the Navy in World War II,[2] 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.[6]
Career
editFeldbrill performed as a violinist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1956.[7] From 1958 to 1968, he was the principal conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.[8][9] In 1967 he conducted the Toronto Philharmonia in a recording of the album Heritage, which featured music by Canadian composers.[10]
In 1969 he directed the CBC Festival Orchestra.[11] 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.[12]
From 1973 to 1978, he was the resident conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1974, he founded the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and was its conductor until 1978.[13][14] His students include Milton Barnes and Brian Jackson.
In 1985, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In the 1990s he directed the Hamilton Philharmonic.[1] In 1999, he was awarded the Order of Ontario.[15]
In 2017 Feldbrill returned to conduct the Winnipeg Symphony for its 70th anniversary. He was 94.[16]
Victor Feldbrill died on June 17, 2020, in Toronto, at the age of 96.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b "Whatever happened to Victor … ?". Jan 08, 2011. Hamilton Spectator
- ^ a b c "Victor Feldbrill, foremost champion of Canadian music". Toronto Star, By William Littler, March 28, 2014
- ^ Pitman 2010, p. 21.
- ^ Pitman 2010, p. 34.
- ^ Pitman, Walter (2002). Louis Applebaum: A Passion for Culture. Dundurn. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-55002-985-7.
- ^ Pitman 2010, p. 49.
- ^ "93-year-old conductor returns to celebrate the WSO". Winnipeg Free Press, By: Holly Harris, 10/11/2017
- ^ King, Betty Nygaard. "Victor Feldbrill". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
- ^ The Canadian Music Journal. Vol. 5–6. Canadian Music Council. 1960. pp. 26–27.
- ^ "LP Out by Seven Canadian Writers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 14 October 1967. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ MusiCanada. Vol. 17–29. The Centre. 1969. p. 18.
- ^ "Louis Riel, the opera: now on DVD, and perhaps on stage<". The Globe and Mail, Robert Everett-Green, July 22, 2011
- ^ Pitman 2010, pp. 293–299.
- ^ "TSYO celebrates 40th birthday with free tuition". Toronto Star, By Trish Crawford, April 23, 2015
- ^ Pitman 2010, p. 9.
- ^ Holly Harris (June 27, 2018). "An exceptional ensemble of performances". Winnipeg Free Press.
- ^ David Eisenstadt (June 18, 2020). "VICTOR FELDBRILL – Conductor, Violinist (Apr. 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020)". Canadian Jewish Record. Archived from the original on 2020-06-25.
Bibliography
edit- Pitman, Walter (2010). Victor Feldbrill: Canadian conductor extraordinaire. Dundurn Press. ISBN 9781554887682.