Calvin E. Simmons facts for kids

Calvin Eugene Simmons (born April 27, 1950 – died August 21, 1982) was an amazing American symphony orchestra conductor. He made history as the first African-American conductor to lead a major orchestra.

A Young Musical Talent

Calvin Simmons was born in San Francisco, California, in 1950. From a very young age, he showed incredible musical talent. His mother, Matty, taught him to play the piano. By the time he was just 9 years old, he was already active in the Bay Area's music scene.

When he was only 11, Calvin began conducting the San Francisco Boys Chorus. He had been a member of this chorus himself, which was started by Madi Bacon. Bacon gave him the chance to help lead the chorus, which was a huge step for his future career.

Starting His Conducting Journey

Calvin continued to grow as a conductor. From 1972 to 1975, he worked as an assistant conductor with the San Francisco Opera. During this time, he won the Kurt Herbert Adler Award, which recognized his talent.

Later, he became an assistant conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, working with famous conductor Zubin Mehta.

Leading Major Orchestras

At just 28 years old, Calvin Simmons became the musical director of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. He led this orchestra for four years, making a big impact. He also continued to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic in famous venues like the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Hollywood Bowl.

Calvin was very versatile. One night, he might support a jazz singer like Carmen McRae. A night or two later, he would conduct classical pieces like William Walton's music or Holst's famous The Planets. He was the first African-American to be named conductor of a major U.S. symphony orchestra. He was also a frequent guest conductor with many other top opera companies and orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1978, he was the Music Director at the Ojai Music Festival.

Opera Debuts

Calvin made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on December 20, 1978. He was only 28! He conducted Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel. He conducted this opera 18 times over two seasons.

He also worked at Glyndebourne in England from 1974 to 1978. He conducted their touring opera, including Così fan tutte in 1975. Shortly before his death, he worked with British director Jonathan Miller on a well-known production of Mozart's Così fan tutte at the Opera Theater of St. Louis in the USA.

Work in San Francisco

Calvin remained active at the San Francisco Opera throughout his adult life. He supported General Director Kurt Herbert Adler. He started as a repetiteur (someone who helps singers learn their parts) and then joined the conducting staff. He made his official conducting debut there with Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème. His later work on Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District gained national attention. In 1979, he conducted the first performance of Menotti's La Loca in San Diego.

His very last concerts were three performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem. He conducted these in the summer of 1982 with the Masterworks Chorale and the Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra.

A Sad Loss

Calvin Simmons sadly died in a canoeing accident at age 32. This happened near Lake Placid in New York. A large public funeral was held for him at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. He was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.

A few weeks later, a memorial concert was held in Oakland's Paramount Theater. People remembered him for his amazing talent, his quick wit, and his ability to quickly understand any musical score.

Calvin Simmons's Legacy

Calvin Simmons left a lasting mark on the music world. The Oakland Symphony Orchestra was later reorganized as the Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra.

Several places were named in his honor:

• The Calvin Simmons Theatre at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, California.
• The Calvin Simmons Middle School in Oakland (though its name has since changed to United For Success Academy).
• The grand ballroom of the Oakland Marriott Hotel.

His death also inspired several composers to write music in his memory. Lou Harrison composed Elegy, To The Memory Of Calvin Simmons. Michael Tippett wrote The Blue Guitar, a sonata for solo guitar. Robert Hughes composed Sop'o muerte se cande. John Harbison wrote Exequien for Calvin Simmons. Calvin had actually conducted Harbison's Violin Concerto shortly before he passed away.