Paul Salamunovich

Paul Salamunovich KCSG (b. June 7, 1927) is an American choral conductor and educator.

He is the Music Director Emeritus of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, after having served as Music Director from 1991 to 2001. He is also Director of Music at St. Charles Borromeo church in North Hollywood, California, a post he has held since 1949.

Since 2007, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Choral Music at the USC Thornton School of Music, and is the Director of the USC Thornton Chamber Choir.

He is acknowledged as an expert in Gregorian chant and has long been recognized for his contributions in the field of sacred music, most notably receiving a Papal knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great from Pope Paul VI in 1969.

Biography

Personal history

He was born in Redondo Beach, California where he attended St. James Elementary School. When a young priest arrived at the parish and started a boy's choir, Salamunovich joined and, as he says, "I was hooked." [cite web |url=http://www.21stcenturychorister.com/chorister/articles/salamunovich.html |title=Salamunovich Speaks: An interview with Paul Salamunovich |accessdate=2008-02-17 |work=21st Century Chorister website ] This choir sang exclusively in Gregorian chant, and "all we did was sing funerals," he said. This early foundation in Gregorian chant, he added, "influenced the music I specialize in, and the techniques I use." [cite news|first=Karen |last=Lindell |title=Voice of Experience |date=March 18, 2004|work=Ventura County Star (California)]

In 1940, at the age of 13, Salamunovich and his family moved to Hollywood, California, where they joined a new church and parochial school whose men's and boy's choirs director were led by Richard Keys Biggs, the organ teacher of famed choral director Roger Wagner. Despite starting in the boys choir three years older than was typical, Salamunovich impressed Biggs with his tone and was allowed to join. He remained in the choir even when he moved to a public high school the following year. At age 14, he began singing with Wagner. [cite web |url=http://www.21stcenturychorister.com/chorister/articles/salamunovich.html |title=Salamunovich Speaks: An interview with Paul Salamunovich |accessdate=2008-02-17 |work=21st Century Chorister website ]

He attended Hollywood High School where, among other things, he met the former Dorothy Hilton, and they became high school sweethearts. (They later married on May 20, 1950, and they have had five children.) [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757536/bio |title=Biography for Paul Salamunovich |accessdate=2008-02-17 |work=IMDb: The Internet Movie Database ] After graduating high school in 1945, he enlisted in the United States Navy and spent a year in Pearl Harbor replacing sailors who were sent home after World War II. [cite news|first=Elaine|last=Dutka|title=MANY VOICES, BUT ONE MAN'S SOUND; DESPITE DISTRACTIONS IN HIS FINAL SEASON, THE L.A. MASTER CHORALE'S MAESTRO IS INTENTLY FOCUSED ON SHAPING THOSE SIGNATURE TONES. |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 17, 2000]

inging and conducting career

After completing his Naval enlistment, Salamunovich returned to Southern California at the age of 19. Hearing of his return, Roger Wagner contacted Salamunovich and asked him to join his newly formed Los Angeles Concert Youth Chorus -- whose other members included a 13-year old Marilyn Horne and 14-year old Marni Nixon; this choir later evolved into the Roger Wagner Chorale in 1948. Wagner eventually suggested that Salamunovich study music in college. This led to the beginning of his professional conducting career.

When Wagner's commitments to his own chorale began to take more of his time, he offered one of his other responsibilities -- choir director at St. Charles Borromeo church in North Hollywood -- to Salamunovich in 1949. He accepted, and has held the position ever since.

He served as Assistant Conductor of the Roger Wagner Chorale from 1953 to 1977. When Wagner formed the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Salamunovich also became Assistant Conductor of the Master Chorale. [cite web |url=http://www.lamc.org/concerts/bios/bio-salamunovich.cfm |title=Bio: Paul Salamunovich, conductor |accessdate=2008-02-17 |work=Los Angeles Master Chorale website] In this capacity, he prepared choirs for numerous performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including those conducted by Igor Stravinsky, Bruno Walter, Eugene Ormandy, Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, and Simon Rattle, among many others.

When the Board of Directors of the Master Chorale and Wagner parted ways in 1986, Wagner recommended Salamunovich to replace him; however, the board decided to ignore Wagner and instead hired Scottish conductor John Currie as Music Director. [cite news|first=John |last=Voland |title=WAGNER TO DEPART ON A SOUR NOTE |work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 18, 1986] Currie held the position until the end of the 1991 season; the Master Chorale's board named Salamunovich as Music Director in January 1991 effective the Fall of that year. "I'm sort of like the prodigal son, come back," Salamunovich said. "My choral heritage 'is' this group." [cite news|first=John |last=Henken |title=THE L.A. CHORALE'S NEW MASTER; MUSIC: VETERAN CONDUCTOR AND CHORAL MISSIONARY PAUL SALAMUNOVICH WILL BE THE GROUP'S THIRD MUSIC DIRECTOR. HE REPLACES JOHN CURRIE ON SEPT. 1. |work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 1, 1991]

Once he took over the Master Chorale, Salamunovich set out to restore the signature sound that existed for many years before Currie's tenure. "I expect to take back your tone about 25 years," Salamunovich told his singers at his first rehearsal as Music Director. "The choir has been top-heavy, very top-heavy. I want to get back to a pyramid blend, to the sound of an over-tone choir." [cite news|first=John |last=Henken |title=CHORALE MASTER'S MISSION: BACK TO THE FUTURE |work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 12, 1991] . In later interviews with the "Los Angeles Times", his approach was described as follows:

The smooth line of Gregorian chant is the goal, Salamunovich says. So is "looseness": releasing the muscles as if "throwing up." Articulation and audience comprehension too are ongoing themes. Not just diction but the quality of sound should convey meaning, the conductor maintains. "The foundation is built on the male voices. . . . I don't allow the sopranos to override them. I take the growl out of the basses and the ping out of the tenors. It's a kinder, gentler tone that says 'I love you.' " [ Dutka (December 17, 2000)]

"When I took over the Chorale," Salamunovich says, "the first thing Wagner told me was, 'Paul, get rid of half the sopranos and hire basses' -- to get back to the old sound." He replaced Currie's bright, operatic sound with a kinder and gentler sonority, mellow and blended "with the energy -- or, should I say, foundation of the sound -- coming from the lower voices." [cite news|first=Timothy |last=Mangan |title=THE PANACHE IS BACK; PAUL SALAMUNOVICH HAS RESTORED THE L.A. MASTER CHORALE'S TO ITS FORMER GLORY; NOW, THERE'S THE AUDIENCE PROBLEM |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 18, 1994]

He led the Los Angeles Master Chorale for ten years, during which time he covered a broad range of repertoire from Renaissance pieces by 16th-century composer Tomas Luis de Vittoria to modern works, most notably those written by Morten Lauridsen, the Master Chorale's Composer-in-Residence from 1994 through 2001. "There's not a note I've written over these years in which I didn't have Paul and the unique sound he achieves with the Master Chorale in mind," Lauridsen once said. "The way phrases are put together and melody is created--I always write for them." The relationship between conductor and composer resulted in pieces such as "O Magnum Mysterium", "Lux Aeterna", and -- written for Salamunovich's 70th birthday -- "Ave Maria". [ Dutka (December 17, 2000)]

Upon retiring as Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2001, he was immediately named Music Director Emeritus, a title he still holds. Since then he has appeared as guest conductor throughout the world, most notably leading the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Master Chorale of the United States as part of the annual Festival of Sacred Music at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome in November 2003.

Academic positions

* Mount St. Mary’s College: music faculty for 18 years
* Loyola Marymount University: music faculty (1958-1995), Director of Choral Activities, named Professor Emeritus in 1993
* USC Thornton School of Music: Adjunct Professor of Choral Music, Director of the USC Thornton Chamber Choir

He also holds two honorary doctorates from Loyola Marymount University and the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota).

In addition, he has taught 831 clinics and workshops throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, the Bahamas, Europe, Australia, and the Far East.

Papal audiences

In addition to his 2003 appearances at the Vatican, Salamunovich has led the St. Charles Borromeo choir in three other performances for Pope John Paul II:
*In 1988, they sang at the Mass for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul with Pope John Paul II presiding in St. Peter's Square in Rome. They are the only American choir ever invited to sing at this occasion.
*In 1987, they performed at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana for the official welcome of the Pontiff to the City of Los Angeles
*In 1985, they performed for the Pope in a private audience in Clementine Hall of the Vatican Palace.

Recordings and DVDs

Los Angeles Master Chorale releases

* "Lux Aeterna" by Morten Lauridsen (also featuring other Lauridsen works: "Chansons des Roses", "Ave Maria", "Mid-Winter Songs", and "O Magnum Mysterium") (RCM)
* Dominic Argento's "Te Deum" and "Missa "Cum Jubilo" by Maurice Durufle (with Rodney Gilfry as baritone soloist and Frederick Swann on organ (RCM)
* "Christmas", a collection of songs (RCM)

Los Angeles Philharmonic releases

* Claude Debussy, "Trois nocturnes" and "La Damoiselle Elué", Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics)
* Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 3, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics)

Hollywood Bowl Orchestra releases

* Rodgers & Hammerstein, "The King & I", John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics)
* Schoenberg/Ravel, "Earth Day", John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics)
* "Hollywood Nightmares" (various composers), John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics)

DVD

* "Choral Perspectives: Paul Salamunovich, Chant and Beyond" (2007), a documentary released by Hal Leonard Publishing

Motion picture and TV work

Salamunovich has been responsible for choral music for over 100 film and TV productions including "First Knight", "Air Force One", "A.I.", "Sum of All Fears", "XXX", "Peter Pan", "Flatliners", "ER", "The Sum of All Fears", and Cirque de Soleil’s "Journey of Man". He coached Robert De Niro in Latin for the role of a priest in "True Confessions" in addition to preparing the choir for that movie. [ Henken (February 1, 1991)]

His St. Charles Borromeo choir appeared with Henry Mancini and Doc Severinson in the NBC Christmas Eve Special, while the boy choir has been featured on television on "The Lucy Show" and with Dinah Shore in the "Chevy Show."

Awards and recognition

* Papal knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great
* "Distinguished Artist Award" from the Music Center of Los Angeles County (1995)
* “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the American Choral Directors Association
* Grammy nomination for recording of "Lux Aeterna" and other choral works by Morten Lauridsen

References

External links

* [http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/private/faculty/salamunovi.php Faculty Profile at USC Thornton School of Music website]
* [http://www.lamc.org/concerts/bios/bio-salamunovich.cfm Bio on the Los Angeles Master Chorale website]
* [http://www.21stcenturychorister.com/chorister/articles/salamunovich.html 21st Century Chorister website: Salamunovich Speaks -- An interview with Paul Salamunovich]