Sixty-nine years ago, “The Erie Philharmonic was thrust into the national spotlight with a special concert; a concert that took place in a high school auditorium, but heard around the nation,” reads a text and video report by David Belmondo in Thursday’s (2/7) Yourerie.com (PA). “It was January 21, 1950. At the podium was Erie Philharmonic Director Fritz Mahler. The venue was the auditorium at Strong Vincent High School. The audience was national. The Leonore, by Beethoven. This historical program was featured as part of NBC’s ‘Pioneers of Music’ radio program and was recently re-acquired from the Library of Congress, thanks to the hard work of Philharmonic Executive Director Steve Weiser. Weiser says he came across a program book page that advertised a special Pioneers of Music broadcast, a national broadcast from January of 1950…. Weiser learned that all radio broadcasts from this network were sent to the Library of Congress. After months of emails and phone calls, Weiser was able to obtain that national broadcast.” The concert was conducted by Fritz Mahler, “a conductor who was first cousin, once removed from Gustav Mahler. That’s like being connected to Beethoven or Brahms,” says Weiser.
Posted February 11, 2019
