Hungarian Heritage Review, 1989 (18. évfolyam, 1-9. szám)
1989-01-01 / 1. szám
TWINS WIN SCHOLASTIC HONORS Stephen M. David Margaret E. David Fort Erie, Canada — In what may be an unprecedented coincidence, two young Canadianborn citizens of Hungarian descent, a young man and a young lady who are twins, won scholastic honors upon graduating from the same institution of learning and at the same time! Stephen Michael David graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, while his sister, Margaret E. David, graduated Cum Laude with an Honors Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. Stephen, a former “Boy of the Year Award” winner, who graduated from high school as an Ontario Scholar, is now enrolled in the University of Toronto Medical School. His sister, Margaret, who also graduated from high school as an Ontario Scholar and recipient of the “Girl of the Year Award”, is now enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto. The son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen David of Fort Erie, who are justly proud of their children, Stephen and Margaret are bound to make their mark in their respective fields of endeavor. The Hungarian Heritage Review congratulates them and wishes them well. x x x x x A HUNGARIAN GIANT OF MUSIC IS NO MORE Bern, Switzerland — Antal Dorati, the internationally renowned and acclaimed composer and conductor, died recently at his home in Gerzensee near Bern. He was 82 years old. Born in Budapest, he attended the Liszt Academy of Music and was a student of Bela Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, both of whom influenced his later work. Upon his graduation from the Liszt Academy of Music at the age of only 18, Dorati became a coach at the Budapest Royal Opera, where he made his debut as a conductor in 1924. Four years later, he became an assistant to Fritz Busch of the Dresden Opera and, from 1929 to 1933, he was the music director of the Munster Opera. From 1933 to 1941, he was the conductor of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and then conducted the American Ballet Theater (1941-1945). Dorati made his American debut, in 1937, with the National Symphony and, after World War II, joined the Dallas Symphony as conductor (1945-1949). He then went on to conduct, for about eleven years, the Minneapolis Symphony, while making guest appearances in Europe with the London Symphony and the Philharmonica Hungarica, whose headquarters was the former Eszterhazy Palace in Bugenland (Eisenstadt, Austria) and which was formed by Hungarian refugees. This orchestra, by the way, performed under Dorati’s baton in the 1950’s at a benefit concert at Rutgers University, New Jersey, with the promotional assistance of the present Editor-Publisher of the Hungarian Heritage Review, who in 1956-1957 was the Resettlement Director of the NCWC at Camp Kilmer in connection with the U.S. Hungarian Refugee Resettlement Program. After the Philharmonica Hungarica debuted at Rutgers University, which was very successful, the orchestra went on a tour of the United States. In the 1960’s, Dorati, who had become a naturalized American citizen in 1947, returned to Europe, settled in Switzerland, and conducted the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Symphony Orchestra (BBC: 1963-1966) and the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (1966-1970). During this period in his life, he also became the Senior Conductor and Conductor Laureate of the Royal British Philharmonic Orchestra. His last full-time position was with the Detroit Symphony (1977-1981). Antal Dorati’s career in music spanned fifty years and throughout his brilliant career he not only promoted a wide range of 20th century music, but also emphasized the works of his teacher, Bela Bartók. In addition, he also conducted the large-scaled scores of his own compositions, including a variety of concertos and suites, and a series of symphonic songs called “The Voices”. His autobiography “Notes of Seven Decades” was published in 1979. — continued next page jNefos ^iuggeta ■ '■ JANUARY 1989 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 5 The late Antal Dorati
