Milton Katims
Encyclopedia
Milton Katims was an American
violist
and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony
for 22 years (1954–76). In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and led the orchestra on several tours. He expanded the orchestra's series of family and suburban outreach concerts. He is also known for his numerous transcriptions and arrangements for viola.
Katims was born in Brooklyn and educated at Columbia University
. His parents were from Russia
and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father changed the family surname from Katimsky some years after he arrived in New York.
Katims started as a violinist but the Belgian
-born violist, conductor and educator Leon Barzin
advised him to switch to viola. Katims played with a number of chamber music ensembles, including the New York Piano Quartet, and was an extra violist with the notable Budapest String Quartet with which he collaborated for 15 years and made six highly regarded recordings, beginning in 1941. He played at various festivals like the Casals Festival
in Puerto Rico
.
Katims gave viola master classes in China
and Israel
, taught at various colleges such as Juilliard in New York and Northwestern in suburban Chicago, as well as the University of Washington
, and transcribed and edited viola music.
Katims joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra
in 1943, replacing the well-known William Primrose
on the first-desk of the section. During his decade with the orchestra, Katims developed a close relationship with conductor Arturo Toscanini
and became his assistant. He also used a baton that had belonged to Toscanini.
Katims also conducted orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic
, Philadelphia Orchestra
, Boston Symphony, London Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra
and Montreal Symphony.
He also organized a series of chamber music concerts titled Candlelight Musicales, in the Spanish Ballroom of the Olympic Hotel, with visiting soloists such as violinist Isaac Stern
, cellist Leonard Rose
and pianists Leon Fleisher
and Claudio Arrau
. Katims often would play his viola and his wife Virginia, the cello.
One of Katims' major accomplishments in Seattle was the conversion of the Civic Auditorium into the Opera House. His leadership was crucial in securing public money for the project, the auditorium destined to be shared by Seattle Opera
and Pacific Northwest Ballet
as well as the Seattle Symphony.
In 1966, Katims was named Seattle Man of the Year, with his portrait on the cover of the telephone book. From 1976 to 1985 Katims served as Artistic Director of the University of Houston School of Music
. His influence enabled the school to attract and hire several notable musicians, such as Carlisle Floyd
, Elena Nikolaidi
, and Abbey Simon
, to the faculty.
He was a masterful raconteur. "The Pleasure Was Ours," a joint memoir by Katims and his wife Virginia, published in 2004, is a reminder of their ability to weave tales and tell stories.
He died in Shoreline, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, in 2006, aged 96.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
violist
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September through July, and serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera in addition to its own concerts...
for 22 years (1954–76). In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and led the orchestra on several tours. He expanded the orchestra's series of family and suburban outreach concerts. He is also known for his numerous transcriptions and arrangements for viola.
Katims was born in Brooklyn and educated at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. His parents were from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father changed the family surname from Katimsky some years after he arrived in New York.
Katims started as a violinist but the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born violist, conductor and educator Leon Barzin
Leon Barzin
Léon Eugene Barzin was a Belgian-born American conductor and founder of the National Orchestral Association , the oldest surviving training orchestra in the United States...
advised him to switch to viola. Katims played with a number of chamber music ensembles, including the New York Piano Quartet, and was an extra violist with the notable Budapest String Quartet with which he collaborated for 15 years and made six highly regarded recordings, beginning in 1941. He played at various festivals like the Casals Festival
Casals Festival
The Casals Festival is a classical music event celebrated every year in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in honor of world renowned musician Pablo Casals.-Background:...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Katims gave viola master classes in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, taught at various colleges such as Juilliard in New York and Northwestern in suburban Chicago, as well as the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, and transcribed and edited viola music.
Katims joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra
NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company especially for conductor Arturo Toscanini...
in 1943, replacing the well-known William Primrose
William Primrose
William Primrose CBE was a Scottish violist and teacher.-Biography:Primrose was born in Glasgow and studied violin initially. In 1919 he moved to study at the then Guildhall School of Music in London. On the urging of the accompanist Ivor Newton, Primrose moved to Belgium to study under Eugène...
on the first-desk of the section. During his decade with the orchestra, Katims developed a close relationship with conductor Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
and became his assistant. He also used a baton that had belonged to Toscanini.
Katims also conducted orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, Boston Symphony, London Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
and Montreal Symphony.
He also organized a series of chamber music concerts titled Candlelight Musicales, in the Spanish Ballroom of the Olympic Hotel, with visiting soloists such as violinist Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
, cellist Leonard Rose
Leonard Rose
Leonard Rose was an American cellist and pedagogue.Rose was born in Washington, D.C., his parents were immigrants from Kiev, Ukraine...
and pianists Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher is an American pianist and conductor.-Early life and studies:Fleisher was born in San Francisco, where he started studying the piano at age four...
and Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
. Katims often would play his viola and his wife Virginia, the cello.
One of Katims' major accomplishments in Seattle was the conversion of the Civic Auditorium into the Opera House. His leadership was crucial in securing public money for the project, the auditorium destined to be shared by Seattle Opera
Seattle Opera
The Seattle Opera is an opera company located in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as the company's first general director through 1983, Seattle Opera's season runs from August to late May, with five or six operas offered and with eight to ten performances each, often...
and Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association, it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978. It is said to have the highest per...
as well as the Seattle Symphony.
In 1966, Katims was named Seattle Man of the Year, with his portrait on the cover of the telephone book. From 1976 to 1985 Katims served as Artistic Director of the University of Houston School of Music
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...
. His influence enabled the school to attract and hire several notable musicians, such as Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Floyd is an American opera composer. The son of a Methodist minister, he based many of his works on themes from the South...
, Elena Nikolaidi
Elena Nikolaidi
Elena Nikolaidi was a noted Greek-American opera singer and teacher. Nikolaidi sang leading mezzo-soprano roles with major opera companies worldwide and made numerous recordings....
, and Abbey Simon
Abbey Simon
-Education:Simon began lessons with David Saperton at the age of five. At the age of eight, Simon was accepted by Józef Hofmann as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster. Simon also took lessons...
, to the faculty.
He was a masterful raconteur. "The Pleasure Was Ours," a joint memoir by Katims and his wife Virginia, published in 2004, is a reminder of their ability to weave tales and tell stories.
He died in Shoreline, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, in 2006, aged 96.