George Crum (musician)
Encyclopedia
George Francis Crum was the first conductor of the National Ballet of Canada
and an accomplished pianist
, vocal coach
and musical arranger
.
and studied organ and piano with Edmund Cohu from the age of 12 to 16. Studies in piano also took place with lsie Bennett and Mona Bates in Toronto.
He made his recital debut at 16 at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
.
From 1943-1947 he later studied theory and orchestration with Barbara Pentland
and Ettore Mazzole, and opera coaching and conducting
with Herman Geiger-Torel
and Nicholas Goldschmidt
at the Toronto Conservatory of Music. He also served as assistant to Goldschmidt and coach in the opera department.
. Crum was the company's first chorus master, and stayed with the company as coach and assistant conductor for 3 years until 1951. He also taught on the piano faculty at the conservatory, notably instructing composer Hugh Davidson
.
During this time, Crum also worked with the Opera Nacional de Centro-America in Guatemala (1949-1950).
George Crum later worked with many companies in many roles including chorus master of the CBC
radio opera throughout the 1950s and as the first conductor of the newly formed National Ballet of Canada
at the invitation of founder Celia Franca
. With the National Ballet, he conducted many notable performances, including productions Giselle
and Orpheus in the Underworld
.
During his time with the National Ballet, Crum had a myriad of other ventures. At the 1952 Salzburg Festival
, he coached opera under Wilhelm Furtwängler
. In May 1953, he conducted the CBC Opera Company in Don Giovanni
, marking the first North-American full-length opera telecast. He also conducted at the opening of the National Arts Centre
in 1969. Crum guest conducted in many international venues including the United States, Japan, and various stages throughout Europe.
Crum was named Music Director Emeritus
at the National Ballet after his retirement from the company in 1984.
Though this was not the end of his involvement with the National Ballet of Canada. He guest conducted on numerous occasions, including some of the gala performances celebrating the company's 25th anniversary and for the production Prokofiev's
Romeo and Juliet in 1989, prima ballerina
Veronica Tennant's
farewell performance. He also prepared musical arrangements and guest-conducted for other ballet companies including the New York's Joffrey Ballet
and Mexico City's Ballet Teatro.
Patricia Snell in 1951, the same year he was appointed conductor of the National Ballet. They remained together until his death in 2007. He is survived by his two daughters Angie Derr and Jennie Coles. He also has six grandchildren: Cassie, Emily, Mack, Mollie, Sammie and Kyle. George treasured his family life very deeply.
During the inaugural ceremonies of President Miguel de la Madrid
in 1980, George Crum served as cultural emissary to Mexico.
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
and an accomplished pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, vocal coach
Vocal coach
A vocal coach is a music teacher who instructs singers on how to improve their singing technique, take care of and develop their voice, and prepare for the performance of a song or other work. Vocal coaches may give private music lessons to singers, or they may coach singers who are rehearsing on...
and musical arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
.
Early life
At the age of three, George Crum was brought to Canada. He attended Trinity College School in Port HopePort Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
and studied organ and piano with Edmund Cohu from the age of 12 to 16. Studies in piano also took place with lsie Bennett and Mona Bates in Toronto.
He made his recital debut at 16 at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto is a private club in Toronto, Ontario which brings together writers, architects, musicians, painters, graphic artists, actors, and others working in or with a love of the arts....
.
From 1943-1947 he later studied theory and orchestration with Barbara Pentland
Barbara Pentland
Barbara Pentland was one of the pre-eminent members of the generation of Canadian composers who came to artistic maturity in the years following World War Two.-Life and career:...
and Ettore Mazzole, and opera coaching and conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
with Herman Geiger-Torel
Herman Geiger-Torel
Herman Geiger-Torel, was a Canadian opera director.In 1969, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.-External links:* at The Canadian Encyclopedia...
and Nicholas Goldschmidt
Nicholas Goldschmidt
Nicholas Goldschmidt, was a Canadian conductor, administrator, teacher, performer, music festival entrepreneur and artistic director...
at the Toronto Conservatory of Music. He also served as assistant to Goldschmidt and coach in the opera department.
Conducting and Career
Crum's debut as a conductor was with The Royal Conservatory of Music's opera division in 1948 in their production of FaustFaust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
. Crum was the company's first chorus master, and stayed with the company as coach and assistant conductor for 3 years until 1951. He also taught on the piano faculty at the conservatory, notably instructing composer Hugh Davidson
Hugh Davidson (composer)
Hugh Hanson Davidson is a Canadian composer, music critic, radio producer, writer, and arts administrator. His compositional output includes works for piano, ballets, chamber music, vocal art songs, choral works, and incidental music for the theatre.Davidson is a graduate of The Royal Conservatory...
.
During this time, Crum also worked with the Opera Nacional de Centro-America in Guatemala (1949-1950).
George Crum later worked with many companies in many roles including chorus master of the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
radio opera throughout the 1950s and as the first conductor of the newly formed National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
at the invitation of founder Celia Franca
Celia Franca
Celia Franca, was the founder of The National Ballet of Canada and its artistic director for 24 years ....
. With the National Ballet, he conducted many notable performances, including productions Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
and Orpheus in the Underworld
Orpheus in the Underworld
Orphée aux enfers is an opéra bouffon , or opéra féerie in its revised version, by Jacques Offenbach. The French text was written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux....
.
During his time with the National Ballet, Crum had a myriad of other ventures. At the 1952 Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, he coached opera under Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler was a German conductor and composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. By the 1930s he had built a reputation as one of the leading conductors in Europe, and he was the leading conductor who remained...
. In May 1953, he conducted the CBC Opera Company in Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, marking the first North-American full-length opera telecast. He also conducted at the opening of the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
in 1969. Crum guest conducted in many international venues including the United States, Japan, and various stages throughout Europe.
Crum was named Music Director Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
at the National Ballet after his retirement from the company in 1984.
Though this was not the end of his involvement with the National Ballet of Canada. He guest conducted on numerous occasions, including some of the gala performances celebrating the company's 25th anniversary and for the production Prokofiev's
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
Romeo and Juliet in 1989, prima ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
Veronica Tennant's
Veronica Tennant
Veronica Tennant, CC, FRSC is a Canadian dance and performance film producer and director, and former ballet dancer.She was born in London, England and moved to Canada with her parents and sister in 1955...
farewell performance. He also prepared musical arrangements and guest-conducted for other ballet companies including the New York's Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
and Mexico City's Ballet Teatro.
Personal
George Crum married his wife, Canadian sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Patricia Snell in 1951, the same year he was appointed conductor of the National Ballet. They remained together until his death in 2007. He is survived by his two daughters Angie Derr and Jennie Coles. He also has six grandchildren: Cassie, Emily, Mack, Mollie, Sammie and Kyle. George treasured his family life very deeply.
During the inaugural ceremonies of President Miguel de la Madrid
Miguel de la Madrid
Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1982 to 1988.-Biography:...
in 1980, George Crum served as cultural emissary to Mexico.