Paul Freeman (conductor) facts for kids
Paul Douglas Freeman (born January 2, 1936 – died July 21, 2015) was an American conductor. He was born in Richmond, Virginia. He was also a composer and started the Chicago Sinfonietta orchestra.
Contents
Paul Freeman's Musical Journey
Early Life and Learning
Paul Freeman studied music a lot. He earned three degrees (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral) from the Eastman School of Music. He received a special scholarship called a Fulbright Scholarship. This allowed him to study music for two years in Berlin, Germany, with a teacher named Ewald Lindemann. Later, he learned more about conducting from Pierre Monteux.
Leading Orchestras
While still studying, Paul Freeman began his career as a conductor. For six years, he was the music director for the Opera Theatre of Rochester. After that, he worked as an associate conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1968 to 1970. Then he joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1970 to 1979.
He also spent time as a main guest conductor for the Helsinki Philharmonic in Finland. From 1979 to 1988, he was the music director for the Victoria Symphony in Canada.
Founding the Chicago Sinfonietta
In 1987, Paul Freeman started his own orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta. He was their Musical Director until he retired in 2011. At the same time, starting in 1996, he was also the music director and chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague. After he retired from the Chicago Sinfonietta, they gave him the title of Emeritus Music Director. This means he was still honored for his past leadership.
Amazing Recordings
Paul Freeman was known as one of the most successful conductors when it came to making music recordings. He created a special series of nine records. These records told the story of Black symphonic composers from 1750 up to the time he made the recordings. This series became very popular on Columbia Records in the 1970s. Later, it was re-released as a set of ten CDs in 2019.
Freeman also worked with a pianist named Derek Han. Together, they recorded all the piano concertos by famous composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Paul Freeman also appeared in more than a dozen televised music shows in North America and Europe. He was even nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work.
Later Life and Passing
Paul Freeman passed away on July 21, 2015. He was 79 years old. He died in Victoria, British Columbia, after dealing with some health problems. His wife, Cornelia, and his son, Douglas, were with him. They planned a private ceremony in Canada and a public memorial service in Chicago in September 2015.
See also
