Julius Hegyi

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Maestro Julius Hegyi

Julius Hegyi (b. February 1, 1923, New York City - d. January 1, 2007, Phoenix, Arizona) was an American conductor and violinist.

He spent his lifetime building orchestras, founding chamber music groups and instilling a passion for music in young and old alike. His belief in contemporary music, especially American music, as conductor, violinist and mentor, brought compelling listening experiences to his audiences. Hegyi was well-known for his expert grasp of European repertoire, routinely giving commanding performances of Beethoven and Brahms, for example.

Hegyi was an active proponent of American music, with concerts devoted to world premieres of many composers. He performed works by contemporary European and Chinese composers, as well.

Performed first concert on the violin, age 10
Attended Stuyvesant High School, NYC
Graduate, The Juilliard School, NYC, studying violin with Sascha Jacobsen and Edouard Dethier; graduating with high honors; recipient of the Frank Damrosch Memorial Scholarship.
The Town Hall, NYC, recitals, 1945 and 1946
Violinist: Berkshire String Quartet; New York Civic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conductor; the New York Philharmonic; RCA Victor Symphony; Radio City Music Hall Symphony; the New York City Center Ballet Orchestra; Little Symphony Orchestra, NYC; Contemporary Music Society, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, NYC
Founder, Amati String Quartet
Studied conducting with Dimitris Mitropoulos
Conductor, Southwestern Symphony Center Orchestra, 1948
Concertmaster and associate conductor, San Antonio Symphony, 1948
Founder and conductor, San Antonio Little Symphony, 1948-1950
Conductor/violinist, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Eureka Springs, AR, 1951-1956
Music Director, Abilene Symphony Orchestra, 1952-1954
Prize Winner, First International Competition for Conductors, Liverpool, England, 1958
Member, American Symphony Orchestra League, 1958-
Co-founder, Music in The Round, chamber music series, with Charlotte Hegyi, 1954-1985
Conductor, Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, 1955-1965
Founder/violinist, Hegyi Piano Trio, Chattanooga, TN, 1955 to 1962, with pianist Charlotte Hegyi, and cellist Martha McCrory
Founder and First Director, Sewanee Summer Music Center, 1956-1962
Conductor/violinist, Southwestern Regional Composers' Forum, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1957-1965
Faculty, music department, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 1965-1985

[1]

Music Director and Conductor, Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, Williamstown, MA, 1965-1985
Conductor, Glens Falls Opera Company, 1971
Music Director, Principal Conductor, Albany Symphony Orchestra, 1966 to 1987
Conductor Emeritus, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Albany, NY, 1987-

[2]

Guest Conductor/violinist, New York Philharmonic (1987), Philadelphia Orchestra (1978), Wichita, KS, Charlotte, NC, Oak Ridge, TN, Troy, NY, Schenectady, NY, Little Red School House, NYC, Sacramento, CA, Beijing Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (1985); as well as orchestras in Romania, Puerto Rico and El Salvador.
Winner, Columbia University's Alice M. Ditson Conductor's Award, 1983 for programming and sponsoring American Music
Resident Conductor, Florida Philharmonic, 1991 to 1992
Survived by widow, Nancy Hegyi, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, sister Louise Larson, daughter Lisa Hegyi Raymond, and grandchildren.

In his overwhelming support and promotion of American music, the maestro in his role as conductor/violinist, performed many World Premieres, such as:
Fredric Goossen, Litanies, Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, 1964
Jacob Druckman, Lamia, for soprano and orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, 1974
Carson Kievman, Second Symphony, "Resurrection", Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, 1991
Charles Wourinen, Third Piano Concerto, Albany Symphony Orchestra, soloist, Garrick Ohlsson
Malcolm Arnold, Eighth Symphony, Albany Symphony Orchestra, May 1979 [3]
Tobias Picker, The Encantadas, Albany Symphony Orchestra, 1983 [4]
Robert Starer, Quartet for piano, violin, viola, cello, Music in the Round, 1977 [5]

Maestro Hegyi performed works by an extensive number of American composers, including:
John Alden Carpenter, Henry Hadley, Daniel Gregory Mason, Quincy Porter, Scott Lindroth, George W. Chadwick, Ezra Laderman, Horatio Parker, Lester Trimble, Margaret Fairlie-Kennedy, Michael Schelle, Tobias Picker, Irwin Bazelon, , Francis Thorne, Charles Wuorinen, Jacob Druckman, Aaron Copland, George Crumb, Robert Parris, Sydney Hodkinson, Leonardo Balada, Carson Kievman, Frederic Goossen, Walter Piston, Leonard Bernstein, Edward McDowell, Morton Gould, Samuel Barber, William Schuman, Robert Ward, Wallingford Riegger.

Quotes^[1]
Garrick Ohlsson, pianist
I remember being transported, when I first heard Julius Hegyi conduct the Albany Symphony Orchestra. I could not believe I was hearing musical interpretation that would make any orchestra proud. In subsequent performances with Julius and the ASO, I learned that this was not a fluke, but a testimony to the gifts and accomplishments of one of the greatest musicians it has been my honor to work with. Julius was a master of all elements of music—technical (as conductor or superb violinist), structural, emotional, spiritual. I will never forget him.

Sidney Harth, violinist, conductor
“You have always been one of the unsung heroes of the musical world; an honest forthright sterling musician/conductor, peerless in the profession. You were one of the rarities unafraid to give lesser known soloists a hearing, seriously devoted to your art; considerate and open with his orchestra members and interested in keeping the highest standards with whom you worked. Please know that you are remembered and appreciated by many."

James Judd, Music Director, New Zealand Philharmonic Orchestra
“Julius Hegyi was a true musician and a warm, kind colleague. He was a wonderful person to talk about music with, and he always put the music first. He was renown for his work as an innovator in contemporary music."

Reviews
John Rockwell, New York Times, June 13, 1987

"...it can be flatly said that the best performance (and the most unusually interesting piece, too) was Mr. Hegyi's account of Barber's one-movement symphony, which had its premiere in 1936, was revised in 1944 and championed by Artur Rodzinski and Bruno Walter. The score blends considerable passion with Barber's wonderfully characteristic arching lyricism. Mr. Hegyi, who has a good deal of experience with 20th-century American music, given the Albany Symphony's venturesome commitment to that cause, played it with a sure technical command that never got in the way of expressivity."