Alexander Chuhaldin
Encyclopedia
Alexander Gregorovitch Chuhaldin (27 August 1892 - 20 January 1951) was a Russia
n violin
ist, conductor
, composer
, and music educator. He spent his early career working in his native country but after 1927 he was active in Canada. His compositional output includes over 30 works for string orchestra; many of which were published by Carl Fischer Music
. He also composed five pieces for solo violin which were published by Paling & Co in Australia and more recently by Thompson Publishing Group in Canada.
, Chuhaldin was the son of a Tsarist and White Army officer, Gregory Ivanovitch Chuhaldin, stationed there in a Cossack regiment, and of Maria Ivanovna Chuhaldina (née Rasskazova). He was a child prodigy
and began studying the violin with Julius Conus
at the Moscow Conservatory
at just eight years of age.
Chuhaldin gave his first public recital at the age of 9 and quickly became active on the concert stage. In 1909 he played in the third stand of first violinists in the Bolshoi Theatre, at the first performance of Le Coq d’Or
. In 1913 he joined the orchestra of the Imperial Grand Opera at the Bolshoi Theatre
. He eventually served as the ensemble's concertmaster
from 1922 to 1924. He joined the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory in 1923 where he remained for two years.
Chuhaldin escaped via Harbin
, China, in 1924 with only his violin and the clothes on his back. He gave an extensive recital tour 1925-7, appearing in concerts throughout Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He met his wife Annette Chuhaldin (née Hillhouse) in Perth and she became his piano accompanist.
In 1927 the Chuhaldins moved to Canada and he began teaching privately and performing in the city of Toronto. He eventually was invited to join the faculty of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, where he taught such notable musicians as Murray Adaskin
, Harry Bergart, Isidor Desser, Betty-Ann Fischer-Byfield, Hyman Goodman, Blain Mathé, Albert Pratz
, and Ivan Romanoff
. In 1928 Charles Comfort
painted a portrait of Chuhaldin with his Amati
violin (now in the Art Gallery of Hamilton
).
He became active as a conductor of radio orchestra
s, working first with the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
during the early 1930s. He then worked extensively for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
on radio programs like Symphonic Strings, CBC Strings, and Melodic Strings. For the latter program he notably conducted the world premiere of Benjamin Britten
's Young Apollo
on 27 August 1939. The performance notably featured Britten at the piano and the composer dedicated the work to Chuhaldin.
Chuhaldin was also active as a guest conductor with several Canadian orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
in 1941. He also notably was a guest conductor with the WPA Civic Symphony in New York City in 1936 and was appointed conductor of the Forest Hill Community Orchestra of Toronto in 1948. Having never retired, he died in Victoria, British Columbia
in 1951 at the age of 58. He was survived by his daughter Inna (married name MacDougall).
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...
n violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, conductor
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...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and music educator. He spent his early career working in his native country but after 1927 he was active in Canada. His compositional output includes over 30 works for string orchestra; many of which were published by Carl Fischer Music
Carl Fischer Music
Carl Fischer Music is a major publisher of sheet music based in New York City that has been in business since 1872. As one of the few remaining family-owned music publishers, it supplies educational materials to professional and beginning musicians of all ages, as well as new music works.Notable...
. He also composed five pieces for solo violin which were published by Paling & Co in Australia and more recently by Thompson Publishing Group in Canada.
Life and career
Born in VladikavkazVladikavkaz
-Notable structures:In Vladikavkaz, there is a guyed TV mast, tall, built in 1961, which has six crossbars with gangways in two levels running from the mast structure to the guys.-Twin towns/sister cities:...
, Chuhaldin was the son of a Tsarist and White Army officer, Gregory Ivanovitch Chuhaldin, stationed there in a Cossack regiment, and of Maria Ivanovna Chuhaldina (née Rasskazova). He was a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
and began studying the violin with Julius Conus
Julius Conus
Julius Conus was a Russian violinist and composer.Conus was born in Moscow on to a distinguished musical family of French extraction who had migrated to Russia at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. His father was the piano teacher Eduard Conus, and his brothers were the composer and music teacher...
at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
at just eight years of age.
Chuhaldin gave his first public recital at the age of 9 and quickly became active on the concert stage. In 1909 he played in the third stand of first violinists in the Bolshoi Theatre, at the first performance of Le Coq d’Or
The Golden Cockerel
The Golden Cockerel is an opera in three acts, with short prologue and even shorter epilogue, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Its libretto, by Vladimir Belsky, derives from Alexander Pushkin's 1834 poem The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, which in turn is based on two chapters of Tales of the Alhambra by...
. In 1913 he joined the orchestra of the Imperial Grand Opera at the Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
. He eventually served as the ensemble's concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
from 1922 to 1924. He joined the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory in 1923 where he remained for two years.
Chuhaldin escaped via Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, China, in 1924 with only his violin and the clothes on his back. He gave an extensive recital tour 1925-7, appearing in concerts throughout Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He met his wife Annette Chuhaldin (née Hillhouse) in Perth and she became his piano accompanist.
In 1927 the Chuhaldins moved to Canada and he began teaching privately and performing in the city of Toronto. He eventually was invited to join the faculty of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, where he taught such notable musicians as Murray Adaskin
Murray Adaskin
-External links:*...
, Harry Bergart, Isidor Desser, Betty-Ann Fischer-Byfield, Hyman Goodman, Blain Mathé, Albert Pratz
Albert Pratz
Albert Pratz was a Canadian violinist, conductor, composer, and music educator. He was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. His compositional output was modest and consists of only instrumental works...
, and Ivan Romanoff
Ivan Romanoff
Ivan Romanoff was a Canadian conductor, violinist, arranger, and composer. For three decades he led the "Ivan Romanoff Orchestra and Chorus" on a variety of radio and television programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, on commercial recordings, and in live concerts throughout North...
. In 1928 Charles Comfort
Charles Comfort
Charles Fraser Comfort, was a Canadian painter, sculptor, teacher, writer and administrator.-Early life:Born near Edinburgh, Scotland, Comfort moved to Winnipeg in 1912 with his family. His father found work with the treasury department for the city of Winnipeg. Comfort as the eldest child had to...
painted a portrait of Chuhaldin with his Amati
Amati
Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.-Andrea Amati:Andrea Amati was not the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today...
violin (now in the Art Gallery of Hamilton
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Art Gallery of Hamilton, is located in the heart of downtown Hamilton, Ontario on King Street West and is one of Canada’s oldest galleries with a collection of over 9,000 works of art.-History:...
).
He became active as a conductor of radio orchestra
Radio orchestra
A radio orchestra is an orchestra employed by a radio network in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In the heyday of radio such orchestras were numerous, performing classical, popular, light music and jazz...
s, working first with the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission was Canada's first public broadcaster and the immediate precursor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.-Origins:...
during the early 1930s. He then worked extensively for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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...
on radio programs like Symphonic Strings, CBC Strings, and Melodic Strings. For the latter program he notably conducted the world premiere of Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
's Young Apollo
Young Apollo
Young Apollo, Op. 16, is a music composition for piano and strings that was composed by Benjamin Britten. Commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Britten completed the work in 1939; just after his arrival in the United States. The work premiered on 27 August 1939 on CBC Radio's...
on 27 August 1939. The performance notably featured Britten at the piano and the composer dedicated the work to Chuhaldin.
Chuhaldin was also active as a guest conductor with several Canadian orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:The TSO was founded in 1922 as the New Symphony Orchestra, and gave its first concert at Massey Hall in April 1923. The orchestra changed its name to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1927. The TSO...
in 1941. He also notably was a guest conductor with the WPA Civic Symphony in New York City in 1936 and was appointed conductor of the Forest Hill Community Orchestra of Toronto in 1948. Having never retired, he died in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
in 1951 at the age of 58. He was survived by his daughter Inna (married name MacDougall).