}~1 e6, 1940 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE T :RTEEN G mreat Names SerkIn ]fakes Enviable Record Sprinkle Lists As Youthful Concert Pianist v rasts eries Accounts Of Five Years, Read Like The Rolls Of Musi's Who's-Who For 61 successive years the Choral Union has presented to Ann Arbor audiences the best obtainable in con- cert performers. The list of artists who have appeared locally reads like the roll of a musical who's-who. The past five years, for example, have presented the following stars: 1934 Rosa Ponselle, Lawrence Tibbett, Don Cossacks, Josef Szigeti, Boston Symphony, Lotte Lehman, Jose Iturbi, Gordon String Quartet, Ar- thur Schnabel. 1935 Metropolitan Opera Quartet, Rach- maninoff, Don Cossacks, Fritz Kreis- ler, Boston Symphony, St. Louis Sym- phony, Kalesch String Quartet, De- ltxoit Symphony, John Charles Thom- as, Myra Hess. 1936 Kirsten Flagstad, Chicago Sym- phony, Moscow Cathedral Choir, Jascha Heifetz, Boston Symphony, Josef Hofmann, Detroit Symphony, Gregor Piatagorsky, Artur Schanbel, Nelson Eddy. After only seven years in this coun- try, Rudolf Serkin has established an enviable record unequalled by many concert pianists. Last season he made 11 appearances in New York alone and appearances as guest soloist with eight major symphony orchestras in addition to a lengthy tour that car- ried him all over the country. Serkin came of a musically talent- ed family and at four could already play creditably and read music with facility. His father had been forced to give up a singing career to earn enough money as a merchant to suppbrt his large family. Although his parents needed the money that might have come from exploiting their son as a child prod- igy, they listened to the advice of the pianist, Alfred Gruenfeld, and sent their son from Czecho-Slovakia to be placed under the tutelage of Pro- fessor Richard Robert. Made Debut At 12 At 12 Serkin made his debut as guest artist with the Vienna Sym- phony Orchestra, but his teachers and parents decided he was still too young to accept the offers of a long tour made by several managers. He continued his studies for sev- eral years doing special work in com- position under Arnold Schoenberg. When he finally did begin his career, he quickly made a success, playing i i in France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Austria. He made several tours in joint recital with Adolf Busch, the violinist. In 1933 he came to the United States for the first time to play at the Coolidge Festival in Washington. The following winter he made his American solo debut under the direc- tion of Arturo Toscanini, who con- ducted the New York Philharmonic Symphony, and quickly won New York audience approval, as well as the favor of concert audiences all over the country during tours in en- suing seasons. Met Wife At 17 Serkin's wife is the daughter of his musical collaborator, Adolf Busch. They met when she was four and he was 17. He says, "She announced then that she was going to marry me and I told her I would wait for her to grow up. As things worked out I did just that." They have two child- ren and now make their home in New York. The pianist turns to mountain climbing and skiing for relaxation, although another one of his hobbies is toy electric engines. On of his idio- syncrasies is to keep two pianos in his New York apartment- in rooms as far apart as possible. He practices for a while in one, then goes to the other room. "To give the neighbors at each end a rest," he explains. Marian Anderson Will Open Series (Continued from Page 11) years touring the capitols of Europe. Born in Kieff, Russia, in 1904, Mr. Horowitz began his concert career in Continental Europe in 1925. He made his American debut in 1928 with the New York Philharmonic. The outstanding symphony of the middle-west, the Minneapolis Sym- phony Orchestra is the third and final orchestra to perform in, the Choral Union Series here Jan. 28. The Minneapolis comes here under the baton of its conductor, Dimitri Mitropoulos. The Budapest String Quartet will brings its repertoire of ensemble music here Feb. 20. Versatile in their choice of numbers, the quartet has given nearly 1,000 concerts, including cities from Norway to the Canary Islands and eight circuits of the United States. Georges Enesco, well-known con- cert violinist, will conclude the sixty- second Choral Union series on March 4 in Hill Auditorium. Minneapolis Orchestra Resumes Touring After Short Lay-Off After a lapse of three seasons, the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, with Dimitri Mitropoulos as conduc- tor, is resuming its annual tour which brings it to Ann Arbor this season as a feature of the Choral Union series. The orchestra first toured i 1906 when it took a three day trip to towns in the vicinity of Minneapolis. Since then it has been heard in 41 states and two foreign countries, fill- ing 1,320 engagements and playing to audiences ranging from 300 to 6,000 people. Finds A Sponsor Starting merely as an accompany- ing unit in a choral society in Men- neapolis, the orchestra finally found a sponsor who foresaw the value of a sound musical organization and what it would mean to the commun- ity. Fifty city residents were then' contacted and a guaranty fund of $30,000 raised to aid Emil Oberhoof- er, the first director, launch the ven- ture. In 1903, 50 men gave their init- ial concert. In 1905 a new auditor- ium patterned after Symphony Hall in Boston was constructed. In 1930 the orchestra was housed in Northrop Memorial Auditorium on the Uni- versity of Minnesota campus and it became a part of university life. Famous Conductors Listed Among the famous conductors who have worked with the orchestra after Oberhoofer's retirement have been Eugene Ormandy, Artur Bodanzky, Jose Iturbi, and Mitropoulos. The last, after making his American de- but with the Boston Symphony or- chestra in 1936, became permanent conductor of the Minneapolis orches- tra in 1938. Since his inception as leader, attendence at concerts has jumped 15 per cent, enrollment at the University of Minneasota has in- creased, as has the number of stu- dents at small schools in the vicinity of Minneapolis. The opportunity to hear excellent music by a noted or- chestra accounts for this, it is be- lieved. In addition to regular con- 1937 4 Rachmaninoff, Cleveland Sym- phony Orchestra, Richard Crooks, Fritz Kreisler, Boston Symphony, Ruth Slenczynski, Helsinki Univer- sity Chorus, Gina Cigna, Roth String Quartet, Georges Enesco. 1938 Lawrence. Tibbett, Cleveland Or- chestra, Jose Iturbi, Boston Sym- phony, Josef Hofmann, Bartlett and Robertson, Yehudi Menuhin, Gregor Piatigorsky. 1939 Sergei Rachmaninoff, Fritz Kreis- 1er, Alexander Kipnis, New York Phil- harmonic Orchestra, Jussi Bjoerling, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Kirs- ten Flagstad, Robert Virovai, Bart- lett and Robertson, Artur Rubin- stein, Nine Million Hear Orchestra On Air More people hear the afternoon broadcast of the Philharmonic Sym- phony every Sunday than heard it in concert during the ninety-seven years of the Society's existence. During the 3,525 concerts that the Philharmonic had given up to the end of the 1939-40 season is is esti- mated that more than eight million people were in attendance but more than nine million people hear the Sunday afternoon concert through the medium of the radio. This audi- ence is equal to the combined popu- lations of Norway and Sweden. The radio audience is not content to sit back and listen but they exer- cise their rights as listeners to praise and criticize the performances. Each week thousands of letters are receiv- ed by the Philharmonic society which contain the varied opinions of their radio audience-people from every walk of life. III BUDAPEST STRING QUARTET DON COSSACK T CHORU)S SERGE JAROFF, Conductor Serge Joroff The Don Cossack Chorus will renew its acquaintance with Ann Arbor November 18. This group, under the direction of Serge Jaroff, has recently completed its 11 th season in this country. They, 34 strong, will en- tain with folk songs, Cossack soldier songs, and liturgies dating back 1000 years with which they thrilled 100 cities last year in five months. CHORAL UNION CONCERT Monday, Noveber 18 On the evening of Thursday, February 20, the Budapest String Quartet comes to Ann Arbor to entertain you with their chamber music. This outstanding group is on its eighth tour of the United States and has had tremendous success on each tour. They have given nearly 1,000 concerts from Norway to the* Canary I CHORAL UNION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Islands and are sure to please you. I .. ........------ 1 Three great Symphonies and Three Great Conductors will produce Superb Music Serge Koussevitzky Serge Koussevitzky has directed the destinies of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the past 13 years. The orchestra is now in its sixtieth season, and its record is phenomenal. Other distinguished conductors have presid- ed over its welfare, but it remained for Koussevitzky to substantially advance its accomplishments in many direc- tions. THE BOSTON SYMPHONY was founded more than fifty years ago. For many years it was supported largely by Colonel Henry A. Higginson, a wealthy Boston music lover, who is said to have made his fortune largely from Michigan copper. The many appearances of this orchestra in Ann Arbor speaks for itself as to its popularity in this section of the country. THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC This is the second time the New York Philharmonic has come to Ann Arbor after the merger of the Philharmonic and the New York Symphony, two great orchestras which both appeared in this city. Last year the Philharmonic stole the hearts of the audience. It will be every bit as good this year, this its ninety- ninth year as leader of American sym- phonies. John Barbirolli John Barbirolli succeeded Arthuro Tos- canini as conductor of the New York Philharrnonic. With the position he accepted the responsibility of main- taining the forefront position which the orchestra had attained under Tos- canini. John Barbirolli has not only maintained but has carried forward their artistic accomplishments. 4 Dimitri Mitropoulos Dimitri Mitropoutos will lead the Minneapolis Symphony Orch- estra in its local debut. The Greek-born conductor four years