Eugene Ormandy (November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist who became internationally famous as the music director and conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The maestro's 44-year-long association with the Philadelphia is one of the longest enjoyed by any conductor with a single orchestra. Under his baton, the Philadelphia had three gold records and won two Grammy Awards.
Kennedy Center Honors, Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, Grammy Hall of Fame
Star Sign
Scorpio
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Quote
1
I used to say that the greatest conductor was Toscanini, and after that the next greatest conductor was Toscanini.
2
"The Philadelphia Sound--it's me".
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Fact
1
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6926 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
2
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 614-617. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
3
Conducted the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now the Minnesota Orchestra) from 1931 to 1936.
4
Conducted several of the first recordings of composer Sergei Rachmaninoff's works, nearly all of them with Rachmaninoff playing the solo piano part. The rest of these early recordings were conducted by Leopold Stokowski, who had conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra prior to Ormandy, but all were made with that orchestra, which was Rachmaninoff's favorite.
5
Recorded the first ever Columbia Masterworks stereo LP in 1958. It was Respighi's "Pines of Rome" and "Fountains of Rome". Mr. Ormandy conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra.
6
Along with Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Fiedler, Ormandy was one of the best-selling classical conductors of the 1960s.
He continued the tradition, begun by Leopold Stokowski, of making the Philadelphia Orchestra play with an exceptionally rich, velvety sound for which it was famous. Critics of his approach (musicians among them) commented that it made every composer's music sound the same, even when a rich, velvety quality did not suit the piece that the orchestra was playing.
9
World-famous conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1936, when he shared the podium with Leopold Stokowski, to 1980. His was one of the longest tenures of a major symphony orchestra ever.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mozart in the Jungle
2016
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Orchestra of Exiles
2012
Documentary performer: "Violin Concerto, Op. 35: I. Allegro Moderato", "Violin concerto, Op. 35: II. Cansonetta: Andante"
Man on Wire
2008
Documentary performer: "In The Hall Of The Mountain King"
The Aviator
2004
performer: "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565" ca 1705
Ocean's Eleven
2001
performer: "Clair de lune from 'Suite Bergamasque'"
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1997
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Evening Star
1996
performer: "Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music"
True Lies
1994
performer: "The Blue Danube"
V.I. Warshawski
1991
performer: "Waltz G Flat Major, Or 70, No. 1"
The Planets
1983
TV Movie documentary performer: "Mars, Bringer of War", "Venus, Bringer of Peace", "Mercury, the Winged Messenger", "Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity", "Saturn, Bringer of Old Age", "Uranus, the Magician", "Neptune, the Mystic"
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
1982
performer: "Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Opus 40" 1837, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 1826
Ormandy Conducts Tchaikovsky
1979
TV Movie performer: "Violin Concerto", "Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture'
Eugene Ormandy Conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
1978
TV Movie performer: "Scheherazade" Symphonic Suite, "Overture to 'Ruslan and Ludmilla'", "Overture to 'Il Segreto de Susanna'", "Suite from 'Der Rosenkavalier'", "Concerto in D Major"
Night Song
1947
performer: "Piano Concerto"
Show-Business at War
1943
Documentary short performer: "Du und Du, Op. 367 You and You" - uncredited
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Planets
1983
TV Movie documentary conductor
La gabbia
1977
TV Movie conductor
Carnegie Hall Salutes Jack Benny
1961
TV Special conductor
Omnibus
1954
TV Series conductor - 1 episode
Louisiana Story
1948
musical director
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Night Song
1947
Eugene Ormandy
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
1982
TV Special
Himself - Honoree
Ormandy Conducts Tchaikovsky
1979
TV Movie
Himself (conductor)
Eugene Ormandy Conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
$2 Million
