Andor Toth
Encyclopedia
Violin
ist Andor John Toth (1925–2006), earned international celebrity as a soloist, concert artist, conductor and educator with a musical career spanning over six decades. Toth played his violin on the World War II battlefields of Aachen, Germany; performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra
under Arturo Toscanini
in 1943 http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html at age 18; and formed several chamber music ensembles, including the Oberlin String Quartet
, the New Hungarian Quartet
, and the Stanford String Quartet
. For 15 years he was the violinist in the famed Alma Trio
http://www.altenbergtrio.at/?site=archive_ensemble&lp=en. Toth conducted orchestras in Cleveland, Denver and Houston. In 1969, he was the founding concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
under Neville Mariner. Toth taught at five important colleges and universities, and recorded for Vox
, Decca Records
and Eclectra Records.
, he launched his career in 1942 at age 17 as solo violinist with the original Ballet Russes. In 1943 at age 18, he joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra
under Arturo Toscanini
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html. At Juilliard he studied with Hans Letz (formerly of the Kneisel quartet
and a student of Joseph Joachim
) and Ivan Galamian
.
Andor Toth was married to Louise Rose, a noted soprano, who died in 2005. The couple had three sons: Andor Jr., a cellist; Thomas, a software engineer; and Chris, a programmer and network administrator. He formed the Toth Duo
(violin and cello) with Andor Toth Jr.
, his eldest son - a CD is available http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1211150/a/Duos+For+Violin+And+Cello+%2F+Toth+Duo.htm
Andor Toth was Associate Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra
under George Szell
and concertmaster Joseph Gingold. He was Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony under Efrem Kurtz
and Ferenc Fricsay
before joining the Oberlin faculty in 1955. In 1955, Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet
with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William Berman, and cellist John Frazer. In 1957, violinist John Dalley
(second violinist in the Guarneri Quartet
), and cellist Peter Howard http://www.summermusic.org/faculty_cello.htm (for many years principal cellist in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
) joined the Quartet. In Summer 1958 the Oberlin String Quartet
won fourth prize in the Concours International de Quatuor, sponsored by H.M. Queen Elizabeth Music Competition, in Liege, Belgium "Quartet Debuts . . ."
In 1963 Toth joined the Alma Trio
with pianist Adolph Baller
and cellist Gabor Rejto, following the death of violinist Maurice Wilk
. After the retirement of Adolph Baller
, William Corbett Jones
became the pianist. Toth remained with the Alma Trio
until 1976 when it disbanded.
Toth founded the New Hungarian Quartet
in 1972 with Richard Young, violin; Denes Koromzay, viola (1913–2001), formerly violist in the Hungarian Quartet
; and Andor Toth Jr.
, cello (1948–2002), formerly principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony
under conductor Josef Krips
. All members were faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory. From 1975-79 the Quartet was the first faculty quartet-in-residence at the Taos School of Music in Taos, New Mexico
. http://www.taosschoolofmusic.com/history
In 1984, Toth founded the Stanford String Quartet
with cellist Stephen Harrison http://www.ivesquartet.org/harrison.htm, violinist Zoya Leybin http://www.sfcm.edu/faculty/leybin.aspx, and violist Bernard Zaslav http://www.viola.com/zaslav/reviews.htm. The quartet performed internationally until his retirement from Stanford in 1989.
In the summer of 1992, Toth toured Europe playing first violin with the Takács Quartet
. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html
While at Oberlin in 1958, he founded and conducted the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. At Colorado, he founded the Baroque Chamber Ensemble that performed important Baroque works, including The Four Seasons
with Toth as soloist.
In June, 1967, he taught and played at the New College of Florida
in Sarasota, Florida
, for the first year of the Experimental Instrumental Performance Clinic, an event that became the Sarasota Music Festival.https://tickets.fwcs.org/public/default.asp?interface=4
In the summer of 1968, Andor Toth performed and taught at the Rocky Ridge Music Center http://www.rockyridge.org/ in Estes Park, Colorado
.
After moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 1978, Toth also taught briefly at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
and directed the Morrison Artist Series http://www.morrisonseries.org/index.html.
In 1988, Andor Toth led the Stanford Symphony on a student-organized tour of South-East Asia, its first ever anywhere. The orchestra played in South Korea
, Japan
and Singapore
, drawing a tremendous response and setting the model for numerous tours since. While in Singapore, Toth and his Associate Conductor Charles Barber honored two life-long dreams by drinking Singapore Slings at the famous Long Bar in Raffles Hotel. The concert later that afternoon was rescued by its players.
In 1989 while at Stanford University
, Toth led the conducting studio, the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, and the Stanford Chamber Orchestra in several recordings and was an exceptionally generous mentor.
Andor Toth conducted the world premiere of "Tenor Rhapsody," composed by William Thomas McKinley as a commission from the Stanford Symphony for saxophonist Stan Getz
, also teaching at Stanford at that time.
Toth frequently amused his students (among them Charles Barber, Jennifer Brown, Peter Jaffe, Christopher Lanz, Jeanine Wagar) with a wry wit and an astonishing command of stride piano.
Andor Toth retired at Stanford University
in 1989. Following his retirement, he taught for one year at University of Arizona
, then at the University of Houston from 1995 to 1998, and then moved to Friday Harbor, Washington
, on San Juan Island
. In Friday Harbor he founded Chamber Music San Juanshttp://www.sanjuanarts.org/directors-2.html, a successful chamber music series that still is thriving. He also presented annual children's concerts for area schools.
had this to say about Toth's last New York concert: "Mr. Toth's principal virtue is his ability to invest even the most brilliant of passages with thoughtfulness; every phrase sounded shaped and considered, with a rich, ample tone . . . And Mr. Toth is hardly one of those violinistic poets who wins one over despite an erratic technique; his intonation and articulation were secure in a way that was continually impressive yet never called undue attention to itself." http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E0DF1E38F93BA1575AC0A964948260
Andor Toth died of a massive stroke
in Los Angeles, California
, November 28, 2006. He was 81 years old.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000007QLP
LAUREL Records: Stanford String Quartet
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000024OYJ
ECLECTRA Records, 1999: Duos For Violin And Cello / Toth Duo http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1211150/a/Duos+For+Violin+And+Cello+%2F+Toth+Duo.htm
Arkiv Music VoxBox CDX 5022: Schubert, String Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Namedrill?album_group=8&name_id=18589&name_role=2
Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
VoxBox (Classical) CD3X 3012: Beethoven, The Middle Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.amazon.com/s?search-alias=classical&keywords=New%20Hungarian%20Quartet Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
VoxBox (Classical) CDX 3031: Debussy and Ravel Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000001K6P/?me= Second CD of 3 CD Set. Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
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 Andor John Toth (1925–2006), earned international celebrity as a soloist, concert artist, conductor and educator with a musical career spanning over six decades. Toth played his violin on the World War II battlefields of Aachen, Germany; performed with 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...
under 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...
in 1943 http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html at age 18; and formed several chamber music ensembles, including the Oberlin String Quartet
Oberlin String Quartet
The Oberlin String Quartet is a classical music ensemble associated with the Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.In 1955, violinist and Oberlin Conservatory faculty member Andor Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William...
, the New Hungarian Quartet
New Hungarian Quartet
The New Hungarian Quartet was founded in 1972. It is separate and distinct from the well-known string quartet, the Hungarian Quartet, though the violist in both groups was the same.- Personnel :...
, and the Stanford String Quartet
Stanford String Quartet
The Stanford String Quartet was formed in 1984 as a special project of the Stanford University -Personnel:Faculty member and violinist Andor Toth became the first violinist. He was joined by Stanford faculty members , viola and...
. For 15 years he was the violinist in the famed Alma Trio
Alma Trio
The Alma Trio was a classical piano trio established in 1942 at the Alma Estate of Yehudi Menuhin in Los Gatos, California.- Original members :...
http://www.altenbergtrio.at/?site=archive_ensemble&lp=en. Toth conducted orchestras in Cleveland, Denver and Houston. In 1969, he was the founding concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is a 40-member American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, considered by music critic Jim Svejda as "America's finest chamber orchestra".-History:...
under Neville Mariner. Toth taught at five important colleges and universities, and recorded for Vox
Vox
Vox is Latin for Voice. It may refer to:* Vocals, a common abbreviation, especially in pro audio-Music:* "Vox" , a song by Sarah McLachlan* Vox Records, an American record label* Vox Records , a German record label...
, Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and Eclectra Records.
Early years
Born in Manhattan in 1925, Andor Toth began playing violin as a child. While he was still a graduate student at the Juilliard SchoolJuilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, he launched his career in 1942 at age 17 as solo violinist with the original Ballet Russes. In 1943 at age 18, he 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...
under 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...
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html. At Juilliard he studied with Hans Letz (formerly of the Kneisel quartet
Kneisel quartet
The Kneisel Quartet was a string quartet musical ensemble established in Boston, USA in 1885. It existed until 1917, and in its time became recognised as the leading string quartet in the United States. It also performed in Europe.-Personnel:...
and a student of Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
) and Ivan Galamian
Ivan Galamian
Ivan Alexander Galamian was an influential Armenian violin teacher of the twentieth century.He was born in Tabriz, Iran, but his family soon emigrated to Moscow, Russia. Galamian studied violin at the School of the Philharmonic Society there with Konstantin Mostras until his graduation in 1919...
.
Andor Toth was married to Louise Rose, a noted soprano, who died in 2005. The couple had three sons: Andor Jr., a cellist; Thomas, a software engineer; and Chris, a programmer and network administrator. He formed the Toth Duo
Toth Duo
The Toth Duo was founded in 1972 by two members of the New Hungarian Quartet: Andor Toth, violin and Andor Toth Jr., cello. The Toth Duo recorded a significant album of Duos for Violin and Cello on the ECLECTRA label. The Duo actively performed until the death of Andor Toth Jr...
(violin and cello) with Andor Toth Jr.
Andor Toth Jr.
Andor Toth, Jr. was an American cellist in the strong Central European, Berlin, and Hungarian traditions, bringing to the public a clear aural vision of structure in the music he played, while channeling the emotional character of that music into the hearts of his listeners.Andor Toth, Jr...
, his eldest son - a CD is available http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1211150/a/Duos+For+Violin+And+Cello+%2F+Toth+Duo.htm
- Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 by Zoltán KodályZoltán KodályZoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
]. Andor Jr. died in 2002 following a year-long battle with cancer http://www.oberlin.edu/con/bkstage/200210/toth_andor_obit.html.
Performance career
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...
under George Szell
George Szell
George Szell , originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer...
and concertmaster Joseph Gingold. He was Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony under Efrem Kurtz
Efrem Kurtz
Efrem Kurtz was a Russian conductor. He studied at the Saint Petersburg conservatory with Alexander Glazunov and Nikolai Tcherepnin, among others. He later studied in Riga, Berlin and in Leipzig, in the last city as a pupil of Arthur Nikisch....
and Ferenc Fricsay
Ferenc Fricsay
Ferenc Fricsay was a Hungarian conductor. From 1960 until his death, he was an Austrian citizen.Fricsay was born in Budapest in 1914 and studied music under Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Ernst von Dohnányi, and Leo Weiner. Fricsay had a meteoric rise to fame, making his first appearance as a...
before joining the Oberlin faculty in 1955. In 1955, Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet
Oberlin String Quartet
The Oberlin String Quartet is a classical music ensemble associated with the Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.In 1955, violinist and Oberlin Conservatory faculty member Andor Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William...
with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William Berman, and cellist John Frazer. In 1957, violinist John Dalley
John Dalley
John Dalley is second violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet was born in Madison, Wisconsin, United States and studied with Efrem Zimbalist....
(second violinist in the Guarneri Quartet
Guarneri Quartet
The Guarneri Quartet was an American string quartet founded in 1964 at the Marlboro Music School and Festival. During the quartet's early years the members were in residence at Harpur College in upstate New York....
), and cellist Peter Howard http://www.summermusic.org/faculty_cello.htm (for many years principal cellist in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra , based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the United States' only full-time professional chamber orchestra...
) joined the Quartet. In Summer 1958 the Oberlin String Quartet
Oberlin String Quartet
The Oberlin String Quartet is a classical music ensemble associated with the Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.In 1955, violinist and Oberlin Conservatory faculty member Andor Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William...
won fourth prize in the Concours International de Quatuor, sponsored by H.M. Queen Elizabeth Music Competition, in Liege, Belgium "Quartet Debuts . . ."
In 1963 Toth joined the Alma Trio
Alma Trio
The Alma Trio was a classical piano trio established in 1942 at the Alma Estate of Yehudi Menuhin in Los Gatos, California.- Original members :...
with pianist Adolph Baller
Adolph Baller
Adolph Baller was an Austrian-American pianist.- Early years :...
and cellist Gabor Rejto, following the death of violinist Maurice Wilk
Maurice Wilk
- Summary :Maurice Wilk was a well-known American violinist who performed as a member of the Alma Trio from 1953 until his sudden death in 1963....
. After the retirement of Adolph Baller
Adolph Baller
Adolph Baller was an Austrian-American pianist.- Early years :...
, William Corbett Jones
William Corbett Jones
William Corbett Jones is an American pianist who has performed throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and Central America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore.- Education :...
became the pianist. Toth remained with the Alma Trio
Alma Trio
The Alma Trio was a classical piano trio established in 1942 at the Alma Estate of Yehudi Menuhin in Los Gatos, California.- Original members :...
until 1976 when it disbanded.
Toth founded the New Hungarian Quartet
New Hungarian Quartet
The New Hungarian Quartet was founded in 1972. It is separate and distinct from the well-known string quartet, the Hungarian Quartet, though the violist in both groups was the same.- Personnel :...
in 1972 with Richard Young, violin; Denes Koromzay, viola (1913–2001), formerly violist in the Hungarian Quartet
Hungarian Quartet
The Hungarian String Quartet was a musical ensemble of world renown, particularly famous for its performances of quartets by Beethoven and Bartók...
; and Andor Toth Jr.
Andor Toth Jr.
Andor Toth, Jr. was an American cellist in the strong Central European, Berlin, and Hungarian traditions, bringing to the public a clear aural vision of structure in the music he played, while channeling the emotional character of that music into the hearts of his listeners.Andor Toth, Jr...
, cello (1948–2002), formerly principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
under conductor Josef Krips
Josef Krips
Josef Alois Krips was an Austrian conductor and violinist.-Biography:Krips was born in Vienna and went on to become a pupil of Eusebius Mandyczewski and Felix Weingartner. From 1921 to 1924, he served as Weingartner's assistant at the Vienna Volksoper and as répétiteur and chorus master...
. All members were faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory. From 1975-79 the Quartet was the first faculty quartet-in-residence at the Taos School of Music in Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
. http://www.taosschoolofmusic.com/history
In 1984, Toth founded the Stanford String Quartet
Stanford String Quartet
The Stanford String Quartet was formed in 1984 as a special project of the Stanford University -Personnel:Faculty member and violinist Andor Toth became the first violinist. He was joined by Stanford faculty members , viola and...
with cellist Stephen Harrison http://www.ivesquartet.org/harrison.htm, violinist Zoya Leybin http://www.sfcm.edu/faculty/leybin.aspx, and violist Bernard Zaslav http://www.viola.com/zaslav/reviews.htm. The quartet performed internationally until his retirement from Stanford in 1989.
In the summer of 1992, Toth toured Europe playing first violin with the Takács Quartet
Takács Quartet
The Takács Quartet is a string quartet, founded in Hungary, and now based in Boulder, Colorado, United States.- History :In 1975, four students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Gabor Takács-Nagy , Károly Schranz , Gabor Ormai , and András Fejér formed The Takács Quartet...
. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/news/2007/february7/toth-020707.html
Education career
- Oberlin Conservatory of MusicOberlin Conservatory of MusicThe Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
(1955–1960); - during the year 1960-1961 he was conductor of Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's musical, West Side StoryWest Side StoryWest Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; - San Fernando Valley State College, now California State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
(1961–1963); - University of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
(1963–1968); - University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
(1968–1972); - Oberlin Conservatory of MusicOberlin Conservatory of MusicThe Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
(1972–1978); and - Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
(1978–1989).
While at Oberlin in 1958, he founded and conducted the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. At Colorado, he founded the Baroque Chamber Ensemble that performed important Baroque works, including The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
The Four Seasons is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season...
with Toth as soloist.
In June, 1967, he taught and played at the New College of Florida
New College of Florida
New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, for the first year of the Experimental Instrumental Performance Clinic, an event that became the Sarasota Music Festival.https://tickets.fwcs.org/public/default.asp?interface=4
In the summer of 1968, Andor Toth performed and taught at the Rocky Ridge Music Center http://www.rockyridge.org/ in Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. A popular summer resort and the location of the headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park lies along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park had a population of 5,858 at the 2010 census...
.
After moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 1978, Toth also taught briefly at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, formerly the California Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917, is a music school, with an enrollment of about 400 students. It was launched by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgehead in the remodeled home of Lillian's parents on Sacramento Street. It was called the...
and directed the Morrison Artist Series http://www.morrisonseries.org/index.html.
In 1988, Andor Toth led the Stanford Symphony on a student-organized tour of South-East Asia, its first ever anywhere. The orchestra played in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, drawing a tremendous response and setting the model for numerous tours since. While in Singapore, Toth and his Associate Conductor Charles Barber honored two life-long dreams by drinking Singapore Slings at the famous Long Bar in Raffles Hotel. The concert later that afternoon was rescued by its players.
In 1989 while at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Toth led the conducting studio, the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, and the Stanford Chamber Orchestra in several recordings and was an exceptionally generous mentor.
Andor Toth conducted the world premiere of "Tenor Rhapsody," composed by William Thomas McKinley as a commission from the Stanford Symphony for saxophonist Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, also teaching at Stanford at that time.
Toth frequently amused his students (among them Charles Barber, Jennifer Brown, Peter Jaffe, Christopher Lanz, Jeanine Wagar) with a wry wit and an astonishing command of stride piano.
Andor Toth retired at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1989. Following his retirement, he taught for one year at University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, then at the University of Houston from 1995 to 1998, and then moved to Friday Harbor, Washington
Friday Harbor, Washington
Friday Harbor is a town in San Juan County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,162 at 2010 Census. Located on San Juan Island, Friday Harbor is the major commercial center of the San Juan Islands archipelago and is the county seat of San Juan County.-History:In 1845 the Hudson's Bay...
, on San Juan Island
San Juan Island
San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km² and a population of 6,822 as of the 2000 census....
. In Friday Harbor he founded Chamber Music San Juanshttp://www.sanjuanarts.org/directors-2.html, a successful chamber music series that still is thriving. He also presented annual children's concerts for area schools.
Students
Andor Toth taught a large number of students during his 35-year career in higher education. Many of them occupy important positions in orchestras and higher education as performers, teachers, conductors, and in allied professions. As a teacher, Andor Toth had very specific ideas about tone production, bow control, left hand finger placement and motion, vibrato, and all other facets of a well-developed artistic technique. His ability to use bow speed and weight with almost limitless variation to create phrasing and subtle tone variations was a hallmark of his own playing and his teaching. His musicianship was legendary. John Rockwell (in the New York Times review cited below) accurately described Toth as a violinistic poet. Some of his many prominent students are listed here.- Stephen ClappStephen ClappStephen Clapp is a violinist and educator and former Dean of the Juilliard School.-Education:Clapp earned the B.M degree from the Oberlin Conservatory and the M.S. degree from the Juilliard School. He is a former student of Dorothy DeLay, Ivan Galamian, and Andor Toth...
, Dean of the Juilliard SchoolJuilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and violinist in the Beaux Arts String Quartet that won the 1965 Walter W. Naumburg Foundation award in Chamber Music http://www.naumburg.org/previous-winners.php. Former dean of the Aspen Music Festival and SchoolAspen Music Festival and SchoolThe Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
. - David ZinmanDavid ZinmanDavid Zinman is an American conductor and violinist.After early violin studies at the Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota and took up conducting at Tanglewood...
, Conductor Emeritus of the Baltimore Symphony OrchestraBaltimore Symphony OrchestraThe Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
and Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and SchoolAspen Music Festival and SchoolThe Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
http://www.davidzinman.org/. Founder and director of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and SchoolAspen Music Festival and SchoolThe Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
. - Fred Nelson, former member of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (1968), the Montreal Symphony OrchestraMontreal Symphony OrchestraOrchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
(1968–70), and the Vancouver Symphony OrchestraVancouver Symphony OrchestraThe Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
(1970-73. Violinist in the Purcell Quartet (1970–76), concertmaster of the Saskatoon Symphony OrchestraSaskatoon Symphony OrchestraThe Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan administered by the non-profit Saskatoon Symphony Society. The orchestra was founded in 1927 as an amateur orchestra, but today has 10 core members and up to 50 sessional musicians...
(1976–78); member of the Seattle SymphonySeattle SymphonyThe 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...
(1979–81); and concertmaster of the Symphonie Canadiana (1981–85). Fred has performed many concerti with orchestra, including those by Beethoven, MendelssohnMendelssohnMendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...
, Wieniawski, Mozart, and Paganini. - Dr. Paul Roby, violinist, violist, conductor, was a student of Andor Toth at Oberlin Conservatory from 1955 until graduation in 1958. Dr. Roby has taught in many universities including the University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and Kansas State UniversityKansas State UniversityKansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
at Manhattan, KS. He was the Owner and Director of Point CounterPoint Chamber Music Camp http://www.pointcp.com/, Lake Dunmore, VT http://www.lakedunmorevt.com/, for eighteen years. Dr. Roby was the concertmaster of the Shreveport Symphony OrchestraShreveport Symphony OrchestraShreveport Symphony Orchestra ' is based in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish and the largest city in north Louisiana. Founded in 1948, the symphony remains the longest continually performing professional orchestra in Louisiana, despite a musicians' strike in October, 2008, which nearly...
and has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States. - Rick Lohmann, violin. Studied with Andor Toth at Oberlin 1973-77. Formerly concerto soloist and concertmaster with the Omaha Symphony 1985-2000. Rick Lohmann currently is co-director of Sante Fe Talent Education. His biography is available on that website.
- Charles Barber, conductor, AM, DMA Stanford, and later a student of the renowned Carlos KleiberCarlos KleiberCarlos Kleiber was a German-born, Austrian classical conductor who spent most of his early life in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Vienna and New York City, and from the early 1960s his professional career in Germany.- Early career :...
. Conductor and Artistic Director of City Opera of VancouverCity Opera of VancouverCity Opera of Vancouver is a professional chamber opera company founded in 2005. It was the lead company in efforts to restore Vancouver's Pantages Theatre, built by Alexander Pantages in 1907. The 650 seat building was considered to be the oldest remaining vaudeville theatre in Canada...
, Vancouver, BC http://www.cityoperavancouver.com/. Founder and guest conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Victoria, BC. - Dr. Mary Ogletree, Professor of Violin at Kutztown University, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, studied with Mischa MischakoffMischa MischakoffMischa Mischakoff was an outstanding violinist and concertmaster for 70 years, from the age of ten until the age of eighty....
at the Aspen Music Festival and SchoolAspen Music Festival and SchoolThe Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
and with Andor Toth at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. "Andor Toth was generous (those marathon lessons, and the music he gave me, with all his markings!), a hard but fair taskmaster, and an inspiration. He compares only with Mischa MischakoffMischa MischakoffMischa Mischakoff was an outstanding violinist and concertmaster for 70 years, from the age of ten until the age of eighty....
, my other favorite teacher (at the Aspen Music Festival and SchoolAspen Music Festival and SchoolThe Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
). None of us who were lucky enough to study with him will ever forget him." - Rodney Schmidt, violinist, educator and university administrator. BM Oberlin Conservatory (1961); MA California State University at Northridge (1962); DMA University of Colorado (1972). Studied violin with Andor Toth at each institution. "Andor was an incredibly sensitive and complete musician. He was a consummate teacher who gave his all to his students."
New York Times review
On September 28, 1982, New York Times critic John RockwellJohn Rockwell
John Rockwell is a music critic, editor, and dance critic. He studied at Phillips Academy, Harvard, the University of Munich, and the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in German culture....
had this to say about Toth's last New York concert: "Mr. Toth's principal virtue is his ability to invest even the most brilliant of passages with thoughtfulness; every phrase sounded shaped and considered, with a rich, ample tone . . . And Mr. Toth is hardly one of those violinistic poets who wins one over despite an erratic technique; his intonation and articulation were secure in a way that was continually impressive yet never called undue attention to itself." http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E0DF1E38F93BA1575AC0A964948260
Andor Toth died of a massive stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, November 28, 2006. He was 81 years old.
Reviews
Published obituaries
- Stanford University
- San Francisco Classical Voice
- The San Juan Islander
- Charles Barber, San Francisco Classical Voice
Selected discography
LAUREL Records: Stanford String Quartethttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B000007QLP
- William BolcomWilliam BolcomWilliam Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
: Tenth String Quartet - Ben Johnston (composer): String Quartet No 9
- Marc Neikrug: String Quartet Stars in the Mirror (Laurel)
LAUREL Records: Stanford String Quartet
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000024OYJ
- Frank BridgeFrank BridgeFrank Bridge was an English composer and violist.-Life:Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others...
: Quartet No. 1 in e - Darius MilhaudDarius MilhaudDarius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
: Quartet No. 7 in B-flat - Gabriel FauréGabriel FauréGabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
: Quartet, No. 121
ECLECTRA Records, 1999: Duos For Violin And Cello / Toth Duo http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1211150/a/Duos+For+Violin+And+Cello+%2F+Toth+Duo.htm
- Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 by Zoltán KodályZoltán KodályZoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
- Duo for Violin and Cello no 1, H 157 by Bohuslav MartinůBohuslav MartinuBohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
- Sonata for Violin and Cello by Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
Arkiv Music VoxBox CDX 5022: Schubert, String Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Namedrill?album_group=8&name_id=18589&name_role=2
Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
- String Quartet No. 13 (Schubert)String Quartet No. 13 (Schubert)The String Quartet No. 13 in A minor , D. 804, Op. 29, was written by Franz Schubert between February and March 1824...
in A minor, D 804/Op. 29 no 1 "Rosamunde" - String Quartet No. 14 (Schubert) in D minor, D 810 "Death and the Maiden"
- String Quartet No. 15 (Schubert)String Quartet No. 15 (Schubert)The String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887, was written by Franz Schubert in June 1826. It was posthumously published in 1851, as opus 161.-Movements:The piece is in four movements, and is about 45 minutes long:...
in G major, D 887/Op. 161 - Quartettsatz (Schubert)Quartettsatz (Schubert)The Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703 was composed by Franz Schubert in December 1820. It is the first movement, the Allegro assai, of a Twelfth String Quartet which Schubert never completed...
in C minor, D 703/Op. posthumous
VoxBox (Classical) CD3X 3012: Beethoven, The Middle Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.amazon.com/s?search-alias=classical&keywords=New%20Hungarian%20Quartet Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
- String Quartet No. 7 (Beethoven)String Quartet No. 7 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 7 in F major was published in 1808 as opus 59, No. 1. It consists of four movements:# Allegro in F major# Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando in B major# Adagio molto e mesto - attacca in F minor...
in F major ("Rasumovsky 1"), Op. 59/1 - String Quartet No. 8 (Beethoven)String Quartet No. 8 (Beethoven)The String Quartet No. 8 in E minor by Ludwig van Beethoven, opus 59, no. 2, was the second of three of his "Razumovsky" cycle of string quartets, and is a product of his "middle" style period. He published it in 1808...
in E minor ("Rasumovsky 2"), Op. 59/2 - String Quartet No. 9 (Beethoven)String Quartet No. 9 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 9 in C major was published in 1808 as opus 59, no. 3. It consists of four movements:# Andante con moto - Allegro vivace # Andante con moto quasi Allegretto # Menuetto...
in C major ("Rasumovsky 3"), Op. 59/3 - String Quartet No. 10 (Beethoven)String Quartet No. 10 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 10 in E major, nicknamed the "Harp", was published in 1809 as opus 74.- Naming :The nickname "Harp" refers to the characteristic pizzicato sections in the Allegro of the first movement, where pairs of members of the quartet alternate notes in an arpeggio,...
in E flat major ("Harp"), Op. 74 - String Quartet No. 11 (Beethoven)String Quartet No. 11 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's opus 95, his String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, is his last before his exalted late string quartets. It is commonly referred to as the "Serioso," stemming from his title "Quartett[o] Serioso" at the beginning and the tempo designation for the third movement.It is one of the...
in F minor ("Serioso"), Op. 95
VoxBox (Classical) CDX 3031: Debussy and Ravel Quartets / New Hungarian Quartet http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000001K6P/?me= Second CD of 3 CD Set. Andor Toth (Violin), Richard Young (Violin), Denes Koromzay (Viola), Andor Toth Jr. (Cello)
- String Quartet (Debussy)String Quartet (Debussy)Claude Debussy wrote his sole String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 in 1893.-Background:The previous year Debussy had abandoned the opera Rodrigue et Chimène...
in G Minor, Op. 10 - String Quartet (Ravel)