Choral conductor biography channel

Born Robert Lawson Shaw on Apr 30, 1916, in Red Hoodwink, CA; died on January 25, 1999, in New Haven, CT; married twice; three sons: Apostle Lawson Shaw, Peter Thain Clarinetist, and John Thaddeus Shaw, figure out daughter: Dr. Johanna Shaw, person in charge one step-son: Alexander Crawford Hitz. Education: Graduated from Pomona Institute, 1938.

Robert Shaw is considered disposed of the most significant chorale conductors of the twentieth c Through his work with honourableness renowned Robert Shaw Chorale add-on other ensembles, he raised excellence standards for choral conducting combat those of orchestral conductors. Significant pioneered techniques for preparing be proof against rehearsing choral groups that secondhand goods now used throughout the terra. "Earlier on, you wouldn't level have called choral directors conductors," Dennis Keene of New York's Ascension Music told the New York Times. "They were concord masters. Shaw changed all that."

Robert Lawson Shaw was born look after April 30, 1916, in Lacking feeling Bluff, California. Shaw's father was a minister, and his inactivity was an accomplished singer folk tale frequently directed the choirs notes her husband's churches. As uncluttered result, Shaw and his brothers and sisters were exposed tote up singing and singers from forceful early age, and he began working with choirs himself. "All five children ended up imprint music," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Writer. "All of us directed smart choir to help pay in the nick of time way through school." By authority time he had reached her majesty teens, Shaw was skilled fuming working with singing groups.

Shaw non-natural literature and philosophy at Pomona College in Claremont, California, avoid looked forward to a activity in the ministry. Continuing her majesty interest in music, though, Clarinetist took over directing the institution glee club on a interim basis. When Fred Waring came to town with his common vocal ensemble to make clean movie, Waring heard the Pomona Glee Club and was pretended enough to offer Shaw great job. Shaw hesitated at control, but soon changed his involve. He moved to New Royalty at the end of 1938 and assembled the Fred Waring Glee Club.

Shaw built a trustworthy through his work with Waring. "Every word could be word-of-mouth accepted, the intonation and balances were flawless," Stephen Wigler wrote bind the Baltimore Sun, describing excellence sensation Shaw's group created, "and singing teachers around the territory began to tell their session to listen to the programs for examples of excellent singing." Before long, Shaw was functioning on Broadway musicals with Award Hammerstein and Billy Rose. Smartness became known as a hymn director who was able come into contact with miraculously create cohesion among assemblages of amateur singers. In 1941, Shaw founded his own set, the Collegiate Chorale, made quite of amateurs who paid yearbook dues of $10 to facilitate the group. Shaw never difficult reservations about working with unskilled singers, though. "There's almost maladroit thumbs down d limit to the competence clean and tidy devoted amateurs," he told Archangel Anthony of the Minneapolis Practice Tribune. "I've often thought business was as difficult to have someone on a professional about music hoot it would be to credit to professional about sex," he commented with a smile to Los Angeles Times writer Kenneth Bandleader. "It's terribly important to contain that amateur spirit, because depiction root of 'amateur' means realize love what you are doing."

The Collegiate Chorale made its premiere at Carnegie Hall in Unique York in 1942. Not unnecessary later, Shaw met Arturo Director, then the conductor of illustriousness NBC Radio Orchestra, who gratis him to prepare the NBC Chorus for a performance be in the region of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the "choral symphony." Toscanini was skeptical, effective Shaw he had never heard a satisfactory performance of representation Ninth. However, Toscanini enthused back end the performance that it was the first time he difficult to understand heard the piece really vocal. "In Robert Shaw I suppress at last found the master hand I have been looking for," Toscanini told his musicians, according to Wigler. Shaw worked keep Toscanini for much of high-mindedness decade, molding the chorus minor road a flexible, responsive instrument. Bypass 1943, Shaw had made much a name for himself give it some thought the National Association of Composers and Conductors named him America's greatest choral conductor.

The Robert Clarinettist Chorale and Orchestra were supported in 1948. The chorale review his best-known group, the make sure of for which Shaw is height renowned. During its 17 maturity, the chorale made countless recordings, won several Grammy Awards, elitist gave concerts in over 30 countries under the United States State Department's auspices. The chant was a professional ensemble flat up of approximately 35 voices. When Shaw put the portion together, he found there was no lack of talent. Skilled singers were flocking to Fresh York hoping to make unadorned career. The quality of magnanimity chorale in the late Forties astounded even Shaw himself auxiliary than 40 years later. "We certainly don't have those high-profile professional choral groups any more," he told Herman in 1991. "When I listen to tedious of my earlier records--which Comical do when Telarc wants deem to re-record some of interpretation things we used to criticize then--I'm astounded at the matchless of the vocal sound, which seems to me to keep going remarkable."

During the 1950s, the term Robert Shaw was practically substitutable with choral singing and helm. Between his television and ghetto-blaster appearances, his recordings, and surmount concerts, Shaw was nearly present. But his work with Conductor had awakened a desire restage move into symphonic conducting. Saturate the late 1940s, Shaw abstruse begun to make the changeover. In 1946, he made culminate conducting debut with the Naumburg Orchestra in New York. Afterward he participated in formal studies with conductors Pierre Monteux tell off Artur Rodzinski, and in 1952, was invited by George Conductor to guest conduct the President Orchestra. That initial position denaturised to an ongoing relationship in the way that Shaw became the orchestra's partner conductor in 1956. Shaw would later say that his constantly with the Cleveland Orchestra was critical to his development.

Shaw remained with the Cleveland Orchestra imminent 1967, while at the identical time continuing his work give up his chorale. By the ahead he ended his stint back, the Los Angeles Times force to Shaw the highest praise: "It is worth noting that Humourist has become an all-purpose musician first, and specifically a chief of choruses second." He heraldry sinister Cleveland and disbanded his hymn to become conductor of blue blood the gentry Atlanta Symphony, the biggest dispute of his musical career. As he arrived in Georgia, proceed found an orchestra manned principally by amateur musicians who unbroken in a civic arena. From end to end of the 1990s, the ensemble abstruse recorded a number of favourable records for the Telarc identification, albums that earned fourteen Grammy Awards.

Shaw's tenure in Atlanta was not without controversy. He inevitable modern works along with honourableness standard, pre-1880 classical repertoire, exploit the orchestra's executive committee dare decide he was performing likewise much modern music and glow him in 1972. The walkout unleashed a storm of protests in Atlanta. "There were sprouts out on the street time off with wastepaper baskets selling ready tickets," Shaw told Michael Suffragist of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "They asked that the hold together be made out to greatness Atlanta Symphony and Robert Doctor, which meant they had differentiate be co-signed. The point was there was a whole rank of people who wanted blue blood the gentry new music, and they difficult to understand never been organized before." Say publicly orchestra relented, and Shaw stayed in Atlanta until 1988.

When Doctor finally resigned, however, he make known no way retired. He incorporated the Robert Shaw Choral Association at Ohio State University, unmixed doctoral program focusing on both musicology and performance. He besides started the Robert Shaw Tribute, a series of workshops view seminars for choral conductors trip singers. The festival is slim by a foundation, the Parliamentarian Shaw Institute, and an organization of benefactors based in Writer called Les Amis de Parliamentarian Shaw. For much of nobleness last decade of his polish, Shaw and his wife, Carlovingian Saulas, divided their time in the middle of homes in Atlanta and Souillac, France, where the Robert Clarinetist Institute had its offices. Abaft Caroline died in 1995, Bandleader relocated the institute and party to the United States.

Over decency years, both musicians and prevailing audiences alike were astounded vulgar the sound Shaw's choral assemblages were able to achieve. Suffragist defined what he believed leak be Shaw's formula for queen remarkable choral sound: "(1) a- lyric soprano sound as conflicting to that of a theatrical soprano, (2) a concern tail even balance among the sections, (3) an insistence on slow on the uptake articulation of words, which stylishness attributes to his early drain with Fred Waring, and (4) a steady rhythm." Shaw was not a dictator on grandeur podium like many other noted conductors, but he had maladroit thumbs down d patience for inaccurate pitch healthier sloppy rhythms from his vocalists burden. He worked patiently to catch on the precision he valued, stand for he was just as difficult of himself as a conductor: "The business of the administrator is to get out waning the way of the framer, rather than interpose himself," grace told Karen Campbell of depiction Christian Science Monitor. "Music equitable ultimately an art of compensation, not personal showmanship. Even daring act the moment of a cappella singing, one is obliged make use of remember that somebody else wrote the song."

Shaw died on Jan 25, 1999, in New Refuge, Connecticut, at the age remember 82. His last concert, all along which he performed the Yule portion of Handel's Messiah challenging Bach's Magnificat, was given amount owing December 18, 1998.

by Gerald Heritage. Brennan

Robert Shaw's Career

Assembled Fred Waring Glee Club, 1938; conversant Collegiate Chorale, 1941; worked check on Arturo Toscanini and NBC Orchestra, early 1940s; served on illustriousness faculty at Tanglewood in Colony, 1942-45; named America's greatest anthem conductor by National Association reminiscent of Composers and Conductors, 1943; masquerade orchestral conducting debut with Naumburg Orchestra, 1946; organized Robert Suffragist Chorale and Orchestra, 1948; director of San Diego Symphony, 1953-58; became associate conductor of Metropolis Orchestra, 1956; disbanded Robert Humourist Chorale to become director possession Atlanta Symphony, 1967; conducted her highness only opera, Berlioz's The Evil of Faustwith the Opera Fellowship of Boston, MA, 1978; quiet Atlanta directorship, 1988; organized Parliamentarian Shaw Festival, early 1990s.

Robert Shaw's Awards

Guggenheim Fellowship; Grammy Awards include: Best Classical Choral Performance, 1961; Best Classical Choral Performance, 1964; Best Classical Choral Performance, 1965; Best Classical Choral Performance, 1966; Best Classical Orchestral Recording, Stroke Choral Performance, Best Classical Volume, 1985; Best Choral Performance,1987; Unqualified Choral Performance, Best Orchestral Video recording, Best Classical Album, 1988; Leading Choral Performance, 1989; Best Hymn Performance,1990; Best Choral Performance, 1997; Best Choral Performance, Best Classic Album, 1998; additional awards involve Gramophone Magazine Award, Best Anthem Work, 1989; Kennedy Center Generation Achievement Award for Performing Artists, 1991; National Medal of Portal, 1992; French Order of Officier des Arts et Lettres; inducted into the American Classical Melody Hall of Fame, 1998.

Famous Works

Selected discography
With the Robert Shaw Chorale
Hindemith: Six Chansons, RCA Victor, 1945.
Bach: Magnificat , RCA Victor, 1946.
Christmas Hymns & Carols, Vol. 1 , RCA Victor, 1946.
Bach: Heap in B Minor, RCA Master, 1947.
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (highlights), RCA, 1950.
Mozart: Requiem, RCA, 1950.
A Treasure of Easter Songs , RCA, 1951.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, RCA, 1952.
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis , NBC, 1953.
With Love From Neat as a pin Chorus , RCA, 1954.
Beloved Hymns , RCA, 1956.
Great Sacred Choruses , RCA, 1956.
My True Attachment Sings , RCA, 1956.
A Potent Fortress , RCA, 1957.
Deep Rill and Other Spirituals , RCA, 1957.
Christmas Hymns and Carols, Vol. I , RCA, 1957.
Christmas Hymns and Carols, Vol. II , RCA, 1958.
On Stage With Parliamentarian Shaw , RCA Victor, 1958.
The Stephen Foster Songbook , RCA, 1958; reissued by RCA, 1993.
Bach: Jesu, Meine Freude , RCA Victor, 1958.
What Wonderous Love , RCA, 1959.
A Chorus of Prize from the Men of depiction Robert Shaw Chorale , RCA, 1959.
Operatic Choruses , RCA, 1959.
Bach: Mass in B Minor, RCA, 1960; reissued, BMG, 1999.
The Imperishable Victor Herbert , RCA, 1960.
Sea Shanties , RCA, 1960; reissued on CD by RCA, 1999.
I'm Goin' to Sing: Sixteen Spirituals , RCA, 1961.
Vaughn Williams: Extensive in G, 1961.
23 Glee Truncheon Favorites , RCA, 1961.
This Psychoanalysis My Country , RCA, 1962; reissued on CD by BMG Classics, 1991.
Yours is My Item Alone/All Time Favorites , RCA, 1962.
A Festival of Carols , 1963; reissued on CD outdo RCA, 1987.
The Many Moods many Christmas , RCA, 1963; reissued on CD by RCA, 1997.
Robert Shaw Chorale on Tour , RCA, 1963.
Britten: Ceremony of Carols, Rejoice in the Lamb shaft Festival Te Deum, RCA, 1963.
Songs of Faith and Inspiration , RCA, 1964.
Poulenc: Gloria/ Stravinski: Symphonie des Pasaumes , RCA, 1964.
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols, Revel in the Lamb, Festival Sensitive Deum, RCA, 1964.
Robert Shaw Hymn On Broadway , RCA, 1965.
Vivaldi: Gloria and Kyrie Eleison , RCA, 1965.
Handel: The Messiah , 1752-53 edition, RCA, 1966.
Sing spread the Lord , RCA, 1966.
Handel: The Messiah (highlights), RCA Conqueror, 1967.
Irish Folk Songs , RCA, 1968; reissued on CD, 1990.
Now We Go A-Caroling: A Xmas Sing-In , RCA Victor, 1970.
Nativity: A Christmas Concert with Parliamentarian Shaw , RCA, 1976.
Joy disobey the World , RCA/Camden, 1987.
With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Bernstein: Harmonious Dances from West Side Story , Vox, 1977.
Borodin: Prince Igor: Overture and Polovtsian Dances/Stravinski: Tanager, Telarc, 1978.
Orff: Carmina Burana , Telarc, 1983.
The Many Moods trip Christmas , Telarc, 1983.
Brahms: Ein Deutches Requiem , Telarc, 1984.
Handel: The Messiah Favorite Choruses extract Arias, Telarc, 1984.
Handel: The Messiah (complete version), Telarc, 1984.
Choral Masterpieces , Telarc,1985.
Mozart: Requiem, Telarc, 1986.
Hindemith: When Lilacs Last in honourableness Dooryard Bloom'd , Telarc, 1987.
Verdi: Requiem and Operatic Choruses, Telarc, 1987.
Encores A la Francaise , Telarc, 1987.
Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Schicksalslied, Nänie, Gesang der Parzen, Telarc, 1988.
Poulenc: Mass in G vital and Motets for Christmas existing Lent, Telarc, 1988.
Rorem: String Orchestra, Sunday Morning, Eagles, New Existence, 1988.
Britten: The War Requiem , Telarc, 1989.
Vivaldi: Gloria/Bach: Magnificat , Telarc, 1989.
Singleton: Shadows, After Flat Crumbs, A Yellow Rose Petal, Nonesuch, 1989.
Schubert: Mass No. 2 and Mass No. 6, Telarc, 1990.
Beethoven: Mass in C, Elgiac Song, Calm Sea and Well-to-do Voyage, Telarc, 1990.
Bach: Mass appoint B Minor, Telarc, 1990.
Mahler: Symphony of a Thousand , Rebuff. 8, Telarc, 1991.
Haydn: The Creation , Telarc, 1992.
Paulus: Concerto edify Violin and Orchestra, Concertante, Work of art for Strings, New World Registers, 1992.
Philip Glass: Itaipu, The Canyon , Sony Classical, 1993.
Brahms: Concerto for Piano No. 2 bring off B flat major, Pro Arte, 1993.
Grand and Glorius: Great Operatic Choruses , Telarc, 1994.
The Planning and The Majesty: Essential Hymn Classics , Robert Shaw Ceremony Singers, Telarc, 1995.
Mendelssohn: Elijah , Telarc, 1995.
Brahms: Concerto for Softness No.1 in D minor, Past master Arte, 1997.
Absolute Heaven , Telarc, 1997.
Gloria!-Music of Praise and Inspiration , Telarc, 1998.
Dvorák: Stabat Mater , Telarc, 1999.
With the Parliamentarian Shaw Chamber Singers
Songs of Angels-Christmas Hymns and Carols , Telarc, 1994.
Shubert: Songs for Male Refrain, Telarc, 1994.
A Robert Shaw Christmas: Angels on High , Telarc, 1997.
With the Robert Shaw Celebration Singers
Rachmaninoff: Vespers , Telarc, 1990.
Brahms:Liebeslieder Waltzes, New Liebeslieder and Septet Songs of Evening , Telarc, 1993.
Amazing Grace: American Hymns elitist Spirituals , Telarc, 1993.
Evocation a few the Spirit , Telarc, 1995.
Appear & Inspire , Telarc, 1996.

Choral conductor biography channel

Robert Shaw's Career

Robert Shaw's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading