Willis Page
Encyclopedia
Willis Page is a United States symphony orchestra conductor. He has conducted three major US orchestras – in Nashville, Des Moines and Jacksonville, Flo. He was associate conductor in Buffalo, where he conducted three quarters of all concerts and has been guest conductor for severalorchestras including Boston Pops (seven times), Denver, St Louis, Rochester, Hartford, Muncie, Yomiuri, Toronto and Jerusalem. He was the first US conductor of a major Japanese symphony orchestra, the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
. He was the first conductor to hire black musicians in a classical orchestra in the USA.
, achieving the first double Performer’s Degree in the School’s history: his instruments were Tuba and Double Bass. In 1940, he was invited by Serge Koussevitsky to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra
.
His musical career was interrupted in 1943 when he joined the US army; he worked as a German translator for the General of the 95th Infantry and was awarded the Bronze Star. Immediately after the war, his linguistic talents were turned to assisting the displaced people of Germany. In total, he had to deal with over 100,000 individuals.
In 1946, he was at the forefront of a campaign to raise aid in the US for the starving peoples of Eastern Europe. In three months his campaign raised over $25,000.
’s Boston Pops Orchestra
. In 1952, he made his debut as a conductor, leading the Boston Pops in front of an audience of 20,000.
In 1954, he conducted 65 members of the BSO in the first stereo recordings ever made (at the time referred to as binaural recordings) – eleven recordings in total, recorded for Cook Laboratories.
At the start of 1955, he took up the post of Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
, with whom he had already made eleven appearances as guest conductor.
In 1957, he taught Ortiz Walton, the first African American to be a member of a major American orchestra: Walton was bass player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Willis Page & The Orchestral Society of Boston
The first-ever stereo releases (1954)
.
At the time, members of orchestras were engaged part time and normally had a separate full time career, often in teaching. One of Page’s first decisions at Nashville was to change that by employing sixteen full time core musicians.
He also took the radical decision that all musicians would be employed on the basis of musical skill, regardless of ethnicity, sex or religion: the NSO thereby became the first US orchestra whose membership was multi-racial.
In 1962, he took fourteen months leave from the Nashville orchestra to become conductor of Tokyo’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra; he was the first US citizen to hold such a position. On arrival at Tokyo Airport
, he was kidnapped and held captive for over half an hour.
In 1965, he secured a grant of half a million dollars from the Ford Foundation, as part of a huge grant to support symphony orchestras in the USA. McNeil Lowry, then VP of the Ford Foundation wrote: "Mr. Page's application in 1961 on behalf of the Nashville Symphony had a profound impact on the FF's 1965 decision to grant 85 million dollars to the Symphony Orchestras of the United States.”
In 1968, he became Professor of Conducting at Drake University
in Des Moines.
He founded the St Johns River City Band of which he was also conductor in 1985. In 1989, following a brief return to Japan, he established, the First Coast Pops Orchestra which brought the Boston Pops approach to Florida via weekend concerts held at the Flag Pavilion.
Since retiring from working in music full time, Willis Page has continued to deliver talks and lectures in the art of conducting, to participate actively in local Christian organisations and to lead a number of a capella church vocal groups.
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
The is a Japanese symphony orchestra administratively based in Tokyo. The orchestra primarily performs concerts in Tokyo at the Suntory Hall, but also gives concerts at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall...
. He was the first conductor to hire black musicians in a classical orchestra in the USA.
Early life
He attended the Eastman School of MusicEastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, achieving the first double Performer’s Degree in the School’s history: his instruments were Tuba and Double Bass. In 1940, he was invited by Serge Koussevitsky to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
.
His musical career was interrupted in 1943 when he joined the US army; he worked as a German translator for the General of the 95th Infantry and was awarded the Bronze Star. Immediately after the war, his linguistic talents were turned to assisting the displaced people of Germany. In total, he had to deal with over 100,000 individuals.
In 1946, he was at the forefront of a campaign to raise aid in the US for the starving peoples of Eastern Europe. In three months his campaign raised over $25,000.
Boston
After the War, he returned to the BSO where he became Assistant Principal; he was also principal bass for Arthur FiedlerArthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
’s Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
. In 1952, he made his debut as a conductor, leading the Boston Pops in front of an audience of 20,000.
In 1954, he conducted 65 members of the BSO in the first stereo recordings ever made (at the time referred to as binaural recordings) – eleven recordings in total, recorded for Cook Laboratories.
At the start of 1955, he took up the post of Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Its regular concert season features gala concerts, classics programming of core repertoire, Pops...
, with whom he had already made eleven appearances as guest conductor.
In 1957, he taught Ortiz Walton, the first African American to be a member of a major American orchestra: Walton was bass player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Willis Page & The Orchestral Society of Boston
The first-ever stereo releases (1954)
- Stravinsky, Villa-Lobos & Bach
- Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet
- Brahms First Symphony
- Haydn: Military Symphony
- Mozart: Symphony #40
- Beethoven: Fifth Symphony
- DuBois: Seven Last Words of Christ
- Tempo Vivace
- Modern Orchestral Textures
Nashville
After five years in Buffalo, Page moved to Nashville to take up the post of Music Director of the Nashville Symphony OrchestraNashville Symphony Orchestra
The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra performs 140 concerts annually.-History:...
.
At the time, members of orchestras were engaged part time and normally had a separate full time career, often in teaching. One of Page’s first decisions at Nashville was to change that by employing sixteen full time core musicians.
He also took the radical decision that all musicians would be employed on the basis of musical skill, regardless of ethnicity, sex or religion: the NSO thereby became the first US orchestra whose membership was multi-racial.
In 1962, he took fourteen months leave from the Nashville orchestra to become conductor of Tokyo’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra; he was the first US citizen to hold such a position. On arrival at Tokyo Airport
Tokyo Airport
Tokyo Airport may refer to one of these airports serving Tokyo, Japan:* Tokyo International Airport, commonly known as Haneda Airport, also known as Tokyo Haneda Airport....
, he was kidnapped and held captive for over half an hour.
In 1965, he secured a grant of half a million dollars from the Ford Foundation, as part of a huge grant to support symphony orchestras in the USA. McNeil Lowry, then VP of the Ford Foundation wrote: "Mr. Page's application in 1961 on behalf of the Nashville Symphony had a profound impact on the FF's 1965 decision to grant 85 million dollars to the Symphony Orchestras of the United States.”
In 1968, he became Professor of Conducting at Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
in Des Moines.
Jacksonville
He was the conductor and musical director of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra from 1971 to 1983. After 30 years of making music, the Orchestra had officially ceased to be in 1970. Page was largely responsible for its revival, taking the newly reformed orchestra on tour to some of America’s major concert halls and commissioning a series of new pieces by major composers.He founded the St Johns River City Band of which he was also conductor in 1985. In 1989, following a brief return to Japan, he established, the First Coast Pops Orchestra which brought the Boston Pops approach to Florida via weekend concerts held at the Flag Pavilion.
Since retiring from working in music full time, Willis Page has continued to deliver talks and lectures in the art of conducting, to participate actively in local Christian organisations and to lead a number of a capella church vocal groups.