Walter Hendl

Walter Hendl (January 12, 1917 – April 10, 2007) was an American conductor, composer and pianist.

Hendl was born in West New York, New Jersey. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and held various conducting and teaching positions throughout his career, including at Sarah Lawrence College, New York Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Eastman School of Music, and Erie Philharmonic. He also served as the first artistic director of the Ravinia Festival and was a professor of conducting at Mercyhurst College. A supporter of contemporary music, Hendl conducted several premieres and composed incidental music for stage productions. He recorded best-selling albums with RCA Victor, featuring prominent soloists like Jascha Heifetz and Van Cliburn. Hendl died in Pennsylvania after battling heart and lung disease.

Biography

Hendl was born in

In 1958, Reiner appointed Hendl associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and he served in this post until 1964. At the same time, he was the first artistic director of the Ravinia Festival and served there from 1959 to 1963.^[1] He left the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1964. From 1964 to 1972, Hendl served as director of the Eastman School of Music at Rochester, New York,^[2] and was also musical adviser to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and its part-time conductor.

In 1976 Hendl was appointed music director of the

He was inducted as a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity on December 1, 1960.^[3]

His best-selling recordings for

Hendl's daughter, Susan Hendl, was a ballet dancer.^[4]

References

External links

• Walter Hendl at
  AllMusic