The orch has retrieved this pic from archives of the recently deceased Bess Myerson at its 1962 gala.
The beauty queen played Rach 2 with the Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall on May 31, 1946, exactly a year after she won the title. Not just a pretty face.
We use cookies and other technology that recognise you to improve your online experience. By using this site you consent to this use in our Cookie & Privacy Policy | Hosted & Managed in the UK by RocketWP
© 2020 Norman Lebrecht. All rights reserved  Terms of Use
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Actually the program for the evening says that she played “‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ (based on Concerto No. 2 of Rachmaninoff).”
http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/c3d4c1ee-b28f-4488-a0ac-8bd50e9402c2/fullview#page/12/mode/2up
The conductor was identified in the program simply as “D’Artega” – Alfonso D’Artega. Wikipedia says he initiated the Philharmonic’s Pops series (which this concert was a part of) and also wrote the NBC Chimes theme.
According to the actual program (as seen in the New York Philharmonic Digital Archives), Ms. Myerson played:
“Full Moon and Empty Arms” (based on Concerto No. 2 of Rachmaninoff).
So, not quite the Rach 2.
Does anyone know who her companion is? Possibly one of my New York cousins, as he is the nearest I have ever seen to being my double. I would have been 14 or 15 when the photo was taken.
Possibly one of my New York cousins, as he is the nearest I have ever seen to being my double. I would have been 14 or 15 when the photo was taken.