Death of a Croatian maestro, 87
RIPThe composer and conductor Pavle Dešpalj has died.
He was music director of the Florida Symphony Orchestra and the Orlando Opera in Florida in the 1970s. From 1981 to 1986 he was chief conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic, and director of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.
He also worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestr ain Londo, the Moscow Russian State Symphony Orchestra, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Rest in peace. A good man and excellent conductor.
So sorry to hear of his death. Working five years with him in Florida Symphony was a unique experience. Not only I learned a lot from Pavle about the art of conducting and rehearsing but it was also a pleasure to take part in many of his compositions’ premiere North American performances. He was a fine chess player too, we played endless amounts of chess games during tours. Our most critical chess match was a televised fundraising event that fortunately he won. Rest in peace Pavle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavle_De%C5%A1palj
So sad to hear of Pavle’s passing. He saw enough musical talent in me, a 24 year old conductor wannabe, when I auditioned to be his Associate Conductor of the Florida Symphony that he hired me and essentially began my career as a professional conductor. He was a mentor, a friend, one of the most passionate and inspiring conductors I’ve ever known. As Mr. Lebrecht points out in his book, The Maestro Myth, this is a profession where many “conductors” truly fake their way into a career, spending more time in front of a mirror than studying scores. Pavle was a consummate musician who knew and absorbed every note of the score. He was one of the most gifted conductors physically – always demonstrating the essence of his interpretation through meaningful gestures. For me — and I’m sure many musicians in the Florida Symphony — Pavle taught us much of the orchestral repertoire and we rarely – if ever – experienced performances at that level again. Rest in peace Maestro – you were a true mentor to me!