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Victor Feldbrill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victor Feldbrill
Born(1924-04-04)April 4, 1924
Toronto, Ontario
DiedJune 17, 2020(2020-06-17) (aged 96)
Toronto, Ontario
Occupation(s)Conductor, musician
InstrumentViolin

Victor Feldbrill, OC OOnt (April 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020) was a Canadian conductor and violinist.

Early life and education

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Feldbrill was born in Toronto,[1] the son of Polish Jewish immigrants, Helen (Lederman) and Nathan Feldbrill.[2][3] In his teen years he played the violin and attended Harbord Collegiate Institute.[4][5][2] He joined the Navy in World War II,[2] playing the violin in the Navy Show and studying part time at the Royal Academy of Music. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto.[6]

Career

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Feldbrill performed as a violinist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1956.[7] From 1958 to 1968, he was the principal conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.[8][9] In 1967 he conducted the Toronto Philharmonia in a recording of the album Heritage, which featured music by Canadian composers.[10]

In 1969 he directed the CBC Festival Orchestra.[11] That year he conducted the CBC Studio Orchestra in an adaptation of the music for the opera Louis Riel, which was released years later as a DVD.[12]

From 1973 to 1978, he was the resident conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1974, he founded the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and was its conductor until 1978.[13][14] His students include Milton Barnes and Brian Jackson.

In 1985, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In the 1990s he directed the Hamilton Philharmonic.[1] In 1999, he was awarded the Order of Ontario.[15]

In 2017 Feldbrill returned to conduct the Winnipeg Symphony for its 70th anniversary. He was 94.[16]

Victor Feldbrill died on June 17, 2020, in Toronto, at the age of 96.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Whatever happened to Victor … ?". Jan 08, 2011. Hamilton Spectator
  2. ^ a b c "Victor Feldbrill, foremost champion of Canadian music". Toronto Star, By William Littler, March 28, 2014
  3. ^ Pitman 2010, p. 21.
  4. ^ Pitman 2010, p. 34.
  5. ^ Pitman, Walter (2002). Louis Applebaum: A Passion for Culture. Dundurn. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-55002-985-7.
  6. ^ Pitman 2010, p. 49.
  7. ^ "93-year-old conductor returns to celebrate the WSO". Winnipeg Free Press, By: Holly Harris, 10/11/2017
  8. ^ King, Betty Nygaard. "Victor Feldbrill". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
  9. ^ The Canadian Music Journal. Vol. 5–6. Canadian Music Council. 1960. pp. 26–27.
  10. ^ "LP Out by Seven Canadian Writers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 14 October 1967. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510.
  11. ^ MusiCanada. Vol. 17–29. The Centre. 1969. p. 18.
  12. ^ "Louis Riel, the opera: now on DVD, and perhaps on stage<". The Globe and Mail, Robert Everett-Green, July 22, 2011
  13. ^ Pitman 2010, pp. 293–299.
  14. ^ "TSYO celebrates 40th birthday with free tuition". Toronto Star, By Trish Crawford, April 23, 2015
  15. ^ Pitman 2010, p. 9.
  16. ^ Holly Harris (June 27, 2018). "An exceptional ensemble of performances". Winnipeg Free Press.
  17. ^ David Eisenstadt (June 18, 2020). "VICTOR FELDBRILL – Conductor, Violinist (Apr. 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020)". Canadian Jewish Record. Archived from the original on 2020-06-25.

Bibliography

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