Eugene Ormandy, born Jeno Ormandy-Blau, was a renowned conductor who led the Philadelphia Orchestra for an impressive 44 years, one of the longest tenures of a maestro and an orchestra. Under his direction, the Philadelphia Orchestra became extremely popular, winning two Grammy Awards and earning three gold records for sales exceeding 500,000 units.
Born on November 18, 1899, in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, to Jewish parents, Ormandy's father, Benjamin, was a dentist and an amateur violinist. Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five and started performing at seven. He graduated at 14 with a master's degree and received his teaching certificate at 17.
Ormandy performed as a soloist and served as concertmaster of Germany's Blüthner Orchestra. He also found time to earn a university degree in philosophy in 1920. In 1921, he emigrated to America with the promise of a tour, taking the name "Eugene Ormandy" and eventually becoming a citizen in 1927.
Ormandy began his professional career in the 77-member orchestra of the Capitol Theatre in New York City, providing musical accompaniment to silent movies. He soon became the concertmaster and a conductor of the ensemble, recording 16 violin pieces between 1923 and 1929.
Ormandy first conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1931, filling in for Arturo Toscanini, who was ill. His success with the Philadelphia led to his appointment as associate conductor under music director Leopold Stokowski, and he took over as principal conductor in 1938, a position he held until 1980.
Ormandy achieved international recognition for creating the distinctive "Philadelphia Sound," characterized by lush string sonorities, legato phrasing, and a rounded, voluptuous tone. He was known for his approach to music, which emphasized intelligence, balance, and proper pacing, rather than imposing his personality on the music.
Ormandy was particularly renowned for his performances of Romantic and post-Romantic music, especially the works of Richard Strauss and Sergei Rachmaninov. He developed a close relationship with Rachmaninov and premiered the composer's Symphonic Dances with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ormandy also conducted the American premieres of several of Dmitri Shostakovich's symphonies.
The Philadelphia Orchestra, under Ormandy's baton, became the first symphony to be broadcast on American TV in 1948. Ormandy received an honorary knighthood in 1976 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's observation of the American bicentennial.
Eugene Ormandy retired as the Philadelphia Orchestra's music director in 1980 and passed away on March 12, 1985.
