Ormandy, << AWR muhn dee, >> Eugene (1899-1985), became one of the world’s best-known orchestra conductors as director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. From 1936 to 1938, Ormandy shared leadership of the orchestra with Leopold Stokowski. Ormandy was the orchestra’s sole music director from 1938 to 1980. His specialties were Romantic and Neoromantic music in which he emphasized fine string playing and rich orchestral tones. Under his leadership, the orchestra toured many countries and made many recordings.
Eugene Ormandy Blau was born in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 18, 1899. He studied the violin with Jeno Hubay, a noted Hungarian violinist. In 1921, Ormandy went to the United States to make a concert tour. Instead, he became a violinist in the orchestra of the Capitol Theater in New York City. Soon he had opportunities to conduct, and he became principal conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1931. He held this position until moving to Philadelphia. Ormandy became a U.S. citizen in 1927. He died on March 12, 1985.
