Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)
Born Jeno Blau in Budapest, Ormandy began studying violin at the National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music at the age of five. In 1921 he moved to the USA, changing his name to Eugene Ormandy. He worked first as a violinist in the Capitol Theater Orchestra in New York, and soon taking over as conductor, accompanying silent films. In 1931, Arthur Judson asked him to stand in for Toscanini at the Philadelphia Orchestra, leading to his appointment as conductor of the Minneapolis Orchestra.
In 1936 he joined Stokowski at Philadelphia, as Associate Conductor. Taking over as Music Director in 1938 and leading the orchestra for 44 years. His fame rests on his wide-ranging repertoire and huge number of records, many of which are rightly regarded as classics.
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