- Theodore Bloomfield
Theodore Robert Bloomfield (
June 14 1923 –April 1 1998 ) was an American conductor.Born in
Cleveland, Ohio , he studied music atOberlin College in Ohio and conducting with Edgar Schenkman for two years on a fellowship at TheJuilliard School in Manhattan. He studied French horn to gain experience in orchestral performance, and he also studied piano with theChile an pianistClaudio Arrau . For two summers, he studied conducting withPierre Monteux inHancock, Maine . In 1946, Monteux conducted theSan Francisco Symphony in the premiere of Bloomfield’s transcription ofBach ’s "Toccata and Fugue in C major".His first conducting experience was with the New York Little Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Chamber Music Hall. He was chosen from 100 applicants to serve as an apprentice conductor to
George Szell at theCleveland Orchestra for 1946-1947. In 1947 he organized the Cleveland Little Symphony Orchestra which he directed until 1952. In 1949, he organized the Civic Opera Workshop of Cleveland. At this time he was also the piano accompanist forLicia Albanese and on the staff of theTanglewood Music Center .In 1952 he went to Europe to conduct, living in
Rome . He married Margery Bloomfield in 1953.Bloomfield was the conductor of the
Oregon Symphony 1955-1959. In four seasons, he introduced 62 works new to the orchestra audience. Prominent artists he invited to Portland included the pianistsArtur Rubinstein andRudolf Serkin , sopranosBirgit Nilsson andElisabeth Schwarzkopf , and violinistIsaac Stern .He next conducted the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 1959-1963. He conducted several recordings with Rochester for Everest Records. He became the conductor of theHamburg State Opera 1964-1966, and in 1967 the general music director of the Frankfort State Opera 1966-1968. He guest conducted in Europe and also led theKonzerthausorchester Berlin (Berlin Symphony Orchestra) 1975-1983.Bloomfield’s final conducting engagement was with the Oregon Symphony in 1996, at a concert during the orchestra’s centennial season. He died in
Warrenton, Oregon .References
*Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (2001).
*Living Musicians (first supplement) (1957).
*Stabler, David. “Former Orchestra Conductor Dies at 74”. Oregonian April 3, 1998.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
