Ferdinand Sorenson
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Sorenson was a prominent music educator in the U.S. state
of Oregon
as well as a conductor
, composer
, dance instructor and performer. Originally from Grenaa (Djursland), Denmark
, Sorenson came to the United States as an infant with his parents, Lars and Matilda Sorenson.
Sorenson's music education began with his father, Lars, when he was five years old. At an early age Sorenson played the violin
and brass instruments to join in family and community orchestra
s. When Sorenson went to Salt Lake City in 1898, he continued his violin studies with Willard Weihe. In Salt Lake City, Sorenson played in his first symphony
and opera
orchestras and met his friend and mentor in music
and dancing
, Mose Christensen
.
In 1905, Mose Christensen and his group of musicians in Boise, Idaho
helped Sorenson collect enough money to travel to New York, where he studied cello
with the William Ebann at the New York College of Music. In New York City
Sorenson played the cello in the orchestra of Walter Damrosch and in shows starring David Warfield
and silent film star Alla Nazimova
.
When he returned to the West, Sorenson played briefly in the Boise Symphony Orchestra (1908) under Mose Christensen's direction and was briefly principal cellist in the Portland Symphony Orchestra
under David Rosebrook (1909). Sorenson married in 1909 and moved to Spokane, Washington
in 1910. Sorenson taught music, dancing and conducted a theater orchestra in Spokane. Besides playing in the Spokane Symphony
he also played in the Gesner-Sorenson String Quartet, the Gottfried Herbst String Quartet, the Spokane Citizen's Band and the Chuck Whitehead Orchestra.
In 1919, Chuck Whitehead built his own dance hall in Spokane, the Whitehead Dancing Palace, where Sorenson started his dancing school after having graduated from Mose Christensen's dance school in Portland, Oregon
. Sorenson moved back to Portland in 1924.
In Portland, Sorenson began playing in the Portland Symphony again when Willem van Hoogstraten
began as conductor of the orchestra. Other groups he played in were the Ashley Cook Band, the McDougall Concert Band, the Ted Bacon String Orchestra, Kelly's Restaurant Orchestra and the Gershkovitch Symphony Orchestra. He also played in the KGW
, KOIN
and other radio
orchestras over the years. Sorenson also conducted the Sorenson Concert Orchestra and the Inter-Community Orchestra in Longview, Washington
.
With Sorenson's numerous string
and brass students and extensive teaching experience he was able to assist Mary Dodge, Jacques Gershkovitch
and others in developing the Portland Junior Symphony
. Besides his private students, Sorenson taught over the years as an adjunct professor at Pacific University
, Lewis and Clark College, Portland State College (now Portland State University
), and the University of Oregon
. He conducted the student orchestra at Marylhurst University
and the student band at Pacific University
. Sorenson was still teaching privately and at Portland State College when he died in December 1966 at the age of 84.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
as well as a 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...
, dance instructor and performer. Originally from Grenaa (Djursland), Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sorenson came to the United States as an infant with his parents, Lars and Matilda Sorenson.
Sorenson's music education began with his father, Lars, when he was five years old. At an early age Sorenson played the 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....
and brass instruments to join in family and community orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s. When Sorenson went to Salt Lake City in 1898, he continued his violin studies with Willard Weihe. In Salt Lake City, Sorenson played in his first symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
orchestras and met his friend and mentor in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, Mose Christensen
Mose Christensen
Moses "Mose" Christensen was an American musician, and founder and conductor of the Oregon Symphony .-Biography:...
.
In 1905, Mose Christensen and his group of musicians in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
helped Sorenson collect enough money to travel to New York, where he studied cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
with the William Ebann at the New York College of Music. In New York City
New York City
New 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...
Sorenson played the cello in the orchestra of Walter Damrosch and in shows starring David Warfield
David Warfield
David Warfield was an American stage actor, born in San Francisco, California. His first connection with the theatre was as an usher. He made his first stage appearance in 1888 in The Ticket-of-Leave Man. Two years later he went to New York City, where he appeared at the Casino Theatre and at...
and silent film star Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova
Alla Nazimova , was a Russian American film and theatre actress, a screenwriter and film producer. She is perhaps best known as simply Nazimova, but also went under the name Alia Nasimoff.-Early life:...
.
When he returned to the West, Sorenson played briefly in the Boise Symphony Orchestra (1908) under Mose Christensen's direction and was briefly principal cellist in the Portland Symphony Orchestra
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
under David Rosebrook (1909). Sorenson married in 1909 and moved to Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
in 1910. Sorenson taught music, dancing and conducted a theater orchestra in Spokane. Besides playing in the Spokane Symphony
Spokane Symphony
The Spokane Symphony is a 70-piece orchestra based in Spokane, WA that performs more than 60 concerts per year for more than 150,000 listeners. It was originally incorporated in 1945 as the Spokane Philharmonic before being renamed the Spokane Symphony in 1962...
he also played in the Gesner-Sorenson String Quartet, the Gottfried Herbst String Quartet, the Spokane Citizen's Band and the Chuck Whitehead Orchestra.
In 1919, Chuck Whitehead built his own dance hall in Spokane, the Whitehead Dancing Palace, where Sorenson started his dancing school after having graduated from Mose Christensen's dance school in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Sorenson moved back to Portland in 1924.
In Portland, Sorenson began playing in the Portland Symphony again when Willem van Hoogstraten
Willem van Hoogstraten
Willem van Hoogstraten was a Dutch violinist and conductor.Van Hoogstraten was born in Utrecht, Netherlands, and studied the violin from age eight including studies with Alexander Schmuller, and enrolled at the conservatory in Cologne, Germany at age sixteen where he studied with Bram Eldering...
began as conductor of the orchestra. Other groups he played in were the Ashley Cook Band, the McDougall Concert Band, the Ted Bacon String Orchestra, Kelly's Restaurant Orchestra and the Gershkovitch Symphony Orchestra. He also played in the KGW
KGW
KGW is an NBC affiliate television station serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 8, from its transmitter in Portland. It also produces segments and serves as the Portland bureau for Northwest Cable News , which is also owned by...
, KOIN
KOIN
KOIN is the CBS affiliate television station serving the Portland metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located in Portland, Oregon, United States; it broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 40...
and other radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
orchestras over the years. Sorenson also conducted the Sorenson Concert Orchestra and the Inter-Community Orchestra in Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
.
With Sorenson's numerous string
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
and brass students and extensive teaching experience he was able to assist Mary Dodge, Jacques Gershkovitch
Jacques Gershkovitch
Jacques Gershkovitch was a Russian conductor and musician who became the first music director of the Portland Junior Symphony...
and others in developing the Portland Junior Symphony
Portland Youth Philharmonic
The Portland Youth Philharmonic is the oldest youth orchestra in the United States, established in 1924 as the Portland Junior Symphony . Now based in Portland, Oregon, the orchestra's origin dates back to 1910 when music teacher Mary V. Dodge began playing music for local children in Burns...
. Besides his private students, Sorenson taught over the years as an adjunct professor at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
, Lewis and Clark College, Portland State College (now Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
), and the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. He conducted the student orchestra at Marylhurst University
Marylhurst University
Marylhurst University is a private Catholic liberal arts university located in Marylhurst, Oregon, United States, nine miles south of Portland on the Willamette River. It is among the oldest collegiate degree-granting institutions in Oregon, awarding its first degree in 1897...
and the student band at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
. Sorenson was still teaching privately and at Portland State College when he died in December 1966 at the age of 84.