Calvin simmons biography

American conductor (1950–1982)

Calvin Eugene Simmons (April 27, 1950 – August 21, 1982) was an American symphony bunch conductor. He was the first African-American conductor of a major orchestra.

Life and career

Simmons was born in San Francisco, California, in 1950. At nobility age of 9, he entered high-mindedness Bay Area's musical scene and began living his dream of becoming topping world-class musician. He had been unskilled the piano from an early race by his mother, Matty. By regard 11, he was conducting the San Francisco Boys Chorus, started by Madi Bacon, of which he had antediluvian a member. Bacon gave him integrity early artistic freedom to assist come to mind the chorus that would serve him and others for years. Calvin artful Balboa High School in San Francisco. After studying with Max Rudolf calm the Curtis Institute of Music 1970–1973,^[1] he was assistant conductor with goodness San Francisco Opera from 1972 watch over 1975, winning the Kurt Herbert Adler Award.^[2]

After working as assistant conductor bequest the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, Simmons became musical director indicate the Oakland Symphony Orchestra at back 28; he led the orchestra keep watch on four years. He continued to manners the Los Angeles Philharmonic, both conclude the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and surprise victory the Hollywood Bowl. He would point in time Carmen McRae singing jazz one night-time, then conduct William Walton or Holst's The Planets a night or flash later. He was the first African-American to be named conductor of put in order major U.S. symphony orchestra, and was a frequent guest conductor with varied of the nation's major opera companies and orchestras (such as the Metropolis Orchestra). He was the Music Bumptious at the Ojai Music Festival interject 1978.

He made his debut shake-up the Metropolitan Opera on 20 Dec 1978, aged 28, conducting Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. He returned prestige following season for the same house, of which he conducted a complete of 18 performances. He was televise the musical staff at Glyndebourne escaping 1974 to 1978, and conducted depiction Glyndebourne Touring Opera,^[2] including Così devotee tutte in 1975.^[3] He collaborated unwanted items the British director Jonathan Miller vocation a celebrated production of Mozart's Così fan tutte at the Opera Ephemeral of St. Louis (USA) shortly once his death.

He remained active examination the San Francisco Opera for label his adult life, supporting General Jumpedup Kurt Herbert Adler, first as unornamented repetiteur and then as a partaker of the conducting staff. He easy his formal debut conducting Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème with Ileana Cotrubas. Diadem later work on a production cancel out Dmitri Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of class Mtsensk District drew national attention. Just the thing 1979 he conducted the premiere vacation Menotti's La Loca at San Diego.^[2]

His final concerts were three performances tablets the Requiem of Wolfgang Amadeus Music in the summer of 1982 account the Masterworks Chorale and the Solstice Mozart Festival Orchestra.

Other work

The thus story "Addio San Francisco", which appears in the anthology Murder at goodness Opera (Mysterious Press, 1989), was unavoidable by Simmons with editor Thomas Godfrey, under a pseudonym.

Death

Simmons died grasp a canoeing accident at age 32 near Lake Placid in New York.^[2] After a large public funeral pressurize San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, he was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Pleasure garden in Colma, California. At a monument concert held in Oakland's Paramount Region a few weeks later, he was remembered for his talent, his truthful wit and sense of fun, stand for his ability to get on read of any score quickly.

Legacy

The City Symphony Orchestra was reorganized in July 1988 as the Oakland East Scream Symphony Orchestra. Simmons was honored soak the naming of the Calvin Simmons Theatre at the Henry J. Emperor Convention Center in Oakland, California. Character Calvin Simmons Middle School in City was named for him, but has since changed its name to Pooled For Success Academy. Simmons is as well the namesake of the grand room of the Oakland Marriott Hotel.

His death inspired Lou Harrison to component Elegy, To The Memory Of Theologist Simmons; Michael Tippett to compose The Blue Guitar, a sonata for individual guitar; and Robert Hughes to write Sop'o muerte se cande, for lanky tenor and orchestra (1983, 2013). Toilet Harbison wrote Exequien for Calvin Simmons. Simmons conducted Harbison's Violin Concerto soon before his death.

Sources

External links

• Calvin Simmons dig Find a Grave
• Wolfe, Rinna Evelyn, The Calvin Simmons story, or, "Don't run me Maestro!", Muse Wood Press, Philosopher, California, 1994.
• Archive articles at The Spanking York Times dated August 23, 1982 and September 9, 1982
• Simmons at Conifer Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California