Erich Kunzel, Jr.
(March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor and longtime leader of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
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ERICH KUNZEL TICKETS
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Early life and career
Kunzel was born to
German-American immigrant parents in
New York City. At
Greenwich High School in Connecticut, he arranged music and played the
piano,
string bass, and
timpani. Initially a
chemistry major, Kunzel graduated from
Dartmouth College with a degree in music, then studied at
Harvard and
Brown universities.
[1] Early in his career, he conducted for the
Santa Fe Opera and studied at the
Pierre Monteux School.
[2] From 1960 to 1965, he conducted the
Rhode Island Philharmonic. From 1965 to 1977, Kunzel served as resident conductor of the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
The Pops
thumb from
President George W. Bush (right)
at a 2007 ceremony.
When the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra board of trustees created the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (CPO) in 1977, Kunzel was named conductor. His popular recordings of
classical music on the
Telarc label were mostly made as director of the CPO. During this time he was leader of the 8 o'clock popular concert series. He also made jazz recordings with
Dave Brubeck and
Duke Ellington. Kunzel also conducted the
National Symphony Orchestra in televised concerts every
Memorial Day and every
Fourth of July until he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Since then Erich Kunzel's efforts made the "Pops" into an internationally known ensemble with half a dozen best-selling recordings a year and almost weekly subscription concerts. Once a major contender to succeed
Arthur Fiedler at the
Boston Pops, his popular recordings of classical music, Broadway musicals, and movie scores topped worldwide crossover charts more than any other conductor or orchestra in the world. The Cincinnati Pops are particularly popular in Asia, where they have toured several times. In 1984, Kunzel expanded the Pops program to include a summer concert series at a newly-built
Riverbend Music Center.
Kunzel and the CPO made history by becoming the first American pops orchestra to perform in China in October 2005. In 2006, Kunzel was awarded the
National Medal of Arts.
On June 20/21, 2008, Kunzel conducted The
Toronto Symphony Orchestra's performance of
Star Trek: The Music at
Roy Thomson Hall in
Toronto.
In April 2009, Kunzel was diagnosed with pancreatic, liver and colon cancer and received chemotherapy treatments in Cincinnati.
[3] He died September 1, 2009 at
Bar Harbor, Maine, near his home at
Swan's Island.
See also
- Paavo Järvi, Kunzel's counterpart at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
References
- Conversations With...The Prince of Pops
- Erich Kunzel dies at 74
- Kunzel diagnosed with cancer