It was 100 years ago that Leopold Stokowski, a young, up-and-coming conductor, became the music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra - transforming the ensemble, practically overnight, into a world-class organization. In his 28 years in Philadelphia, Stokowski presented American premieres of countless works, and was responsible for many “firsts” - from the first electrical recording, to the first commercially sponsored radio broadcast (1929), to the first series of concerts for children.
WRTI celebrates Stokowski's Philadelphia centenary with a week of music and more. You'll hear iconic and rare Stokowski recordings. You'll listen in on seldom-heard archive interviews with the legendary conductor and visionary. And you’ll also hear from current and past Philadelphia Orchestra musicians who played under Stokowski.
It’s a weeklong celebration of the life and legacy of Leopold Stokowski that begins on Saturday June 16th on WRTI. Join us!
The Philadelphia Orchestra has a great blog about Stokowski and their upcoming concerts at the Academy of Music on June 21, 22, and 23. The concerts, with Yannick Nezet-Seguin on the podium, are a tribute to the ensemble's famous music director who put them on the map!
http://youtu.be/-GteUS553vI