DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The 'Detroit Symphony Orchestra' (DSO) was founded in 1914. It performed the world's first radio broadcast of a symphonic concert on February 10, 1922 with pianist Artur Schnabel, and became the first nationally broadcast radio orchestra on the Ford Sunday Evening Hour, later Ford Symphony Hour from 1934 to 1942 on the Columbia Broadcast System. The DSO is currently heard by one million listeners a week on the nationwide broadcast, the General Motors' "Mark of Excellence" radio series. Its live concert series is attended by 450,000 people a year and includes a series of free educational concerts for children begun in 1926. The symphony has produced many recordings on the Victor, London, Decca, Mercury, RCA, Chandos and DSO labels. The DSO recording of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring was the first CD to win the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy. A fine arts high school on part of the symphony's property opened in 2005.

History

Until 1919, the DSO performed at the old Detroit Opera House. Upon the appointment of Ossip Gabrilowitsch as music director in 1918, he demanded a new auditorium be built as a condition of his accepting the position, leading to the construction of Orchestra Hall. In 1956, the Orchestra moved to Ford Auditorium on the waterfront of the Detroit River. The DSO remained in that venue for 33 years [1], but later returned to a renovated Orchestra Hall, which was said to feature better acoustics. The DSO has suffered financial challenges and setbacks for much of the psst twenty five years struggling to find support in a rust-belt city. In 2003, the DSO renovated Orchestra Hall again and added a $60 million addition, including a recital hall and education wing, called The Max M. Fisher Music Center.
As of 2007, the DSO is still searching for a new music director. Peter Oundjian, currently Music Director of the Toronto Symphony, is the DSO's current Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor. The current Resident Conductor is Thomas Wilkins. See below for a complete list of DSO Music Directors.

Music directors

★ Neeme Järvi (1990-2005)

★ Günther Herbig (1984-1990)

★ Antal Doráti (1977-1981)

★ Aldo Ceccato (1973-1977)

★ Sixten Ehrling (1963-1973)

★ Paul Paray (1951-1962)

★ ''Orchestra disbanded 1949-1951''

★ Karl Krueger (1944-1949)

★ Victor Kolar (1940-1942)

★ Ossip Gabrilowitsch (1918-1936)

★ Weston Gales (1914-1917)
=Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1974 - 1979)=

Concertmasters

★ Felix Resnick

★ Gordon Staples

★ Carl Austin

★ John Trudell

★ Don Palmer

Violins

★ Felix Resnick

★ Gordon Staples

★ Beatriz Staples

★ Margaret Tundo

★ Edouard Kesner

★ James Waring

★ Alvin Score

★ Gordon Peterson

★ Linda Smith

★ Richard Margitza

Violas

★

★ Nathan Gordon

★ David Ireland

★ Eugenia Stasczewski

★ Philip Porbe

★ LeeRoy Fenstermacher

★ Hart Hollman

★ Walter Evich

★ Tony Patti

★ Gary Schnerer

★ Cathy Compton

Cellos

★ John Thurman

★ Mario DiFiore

★ Bogos Mortchikian

★ Winifred Mayes

Double-basses

Harp

Trumpets

★ John Trudell

★ Ed Nucelli

★ David Bartlett

★ Joseph C. Troia

★ Maurice Davis

★ Gordon Stump

Trombones

★ Carl Raetz

★ Stewart Saunders

★ Leo Harrison

★ George Troia

★ Mike Suter

★ Dick Shearer

★ Al Winters

Horns

★ Joe Buono

★ John Grose

Tuba

★ Mike Suter

English horns

★ Ervin Monroe

★ Clement Barone

Saxophones

★ Angelo V. Calisi

★ Lannt Austin

★ Lawrence Nozero

★ Tom Ploeger

★ Ernest Rodgers

★ Chuck Feger

Bassoon

★ Phillip Austin

★ Paul Ganson

★ Lyell Lindsey

★ Charles Sirard

Contrabassoon

★ Lyell Lindsey

Clarinets

★ Roy Willox

★ David Sandeman

★ Keith Bird

Oboe

★ Donald Baker

Flugelhorns

★ Roy Willox

★ David Sandeman

★ Keith Bird

Flutes

★ Ervin Monroe

★ Clement Barone

★ Chuck Feger

Piccolos