Donald George Johanos was a conductor and music director with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....

 and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. He was recognized for his support of contemporary classical music

Classical music

Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

. He performed or conducted on at least 16 recordings.

Early life and career

Johanos was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

, in 1928. He attended the Eastman School of Music

Eastman 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...

, receiving an undergraduate degree in 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....

, a master's degree in music theory

Music theory

Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...

 and a performer's certificate in conducting.

After his graduation from Eastman, Johanos played violin for five years in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music....

, where he received coaching in conducting from the music director, Erich Leinsdorf

Erich Leinsdorf

Erich Leinsdorf was a naturalized American Austrian conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for exacting standards as well as an acerbic personality...

.
In 1958, Johanos won the International Conductors Competition run by the Netherlands Radio Union

Nederlandse Omroep Stichting

The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...

.

Conductor and music director

In 1962, Johanos became the music director and principal conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. During this period, he conducted the orchestra in several recordings. However, he had problems with the musicians during his stint in Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

, resulting in his departure in 1970.

Johanos moved to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...

 as associate conductor and director of its chamber orchestra

Chamber music

Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...

.

He became the musical director and conductor of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in 1979. Johanos helped settle the orchestra down after the retirement of Robert la Marchina. He was also known for championing new music, which caused some frictions with the board. Johanos received an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1991 for "adventuresome programming of contemporary music".

While at Honolulu, Johanos recorded with his own and other orchestras. In 1993, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra recorded an album, Three Works by Dan Welcher

Dan Welcher

Dan Welcher is an American composer, conductor, and music educator.- Biography :Welcher was born in Rochester, New York and earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, studying bassoon, piano, and composition...

 with the Honolulu Symphony, under Johanos's baton. Welcher dedicated his Symphony No. 1 to Johanos. The 1993–94 season, which would have been Johanos's last with the Honolulu orchestra, was cancelled due to a labor dispute.

Johanos retired to Naples, Florida

Naples, Florida

Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...

, where he died in 2007.