Canada outcry as much-loved maestro is killed crossing the road
NewsWe are shocked and distressed to report the death, in a hit and run incident, of the well-known Canadian conductor and artistic director Boris Brott.
Boris, who was 78, was crossing a road in Hamilton, Ontario, at ten in the morning when he was hit by a speeding vehicle that was driving on the wrong side. He was on his way to a hospital appointment.
The driver was stopped and arrested a short distance away.
The Montreal Classical Orchestra, where he was artistic director, said: ‘Boris Brott was the beating heart of the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, a renowned leader in the world of classical music in North America and beyond, a mentor to countless young musicians, and a very dear friend to so many.’
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said: ‘Boris was not only a giant in the classical music world, he was also a giant for promoting and building Hamilton and his efforts over decades helped lift our community to new heights.’ It was in Hamilton that Boris founded the National Academy Orchestra of Canada.
After a spell as Walter Susskind’s assistant at the Toronto Symphony, Boris made his career in 1960s England as conductor of the Northern Sinfonia and the Royal Ballet touring company.
In Canada he became music director of the Winnipeg Symphony and Symphony Nova Scotia. He also led New West Symphony in California, while fying often to Europe to guest conduct.
photo: Boris (l) with cellist brother Dennis
Boris Brott was also Leonard Bernstein’s assistant at NY Phil 1968-1969. A great loss for Canadian music.
Absolutely ghastly.
Norman, this is just an f.y.i. for you. Hamilton is reasonably close to London, Ontario. That’s where the University of Western Ontario is located, which has a significant Mahler and Alfred Rose’ collection at their library. London is just about halfway between Detroit and Toronto. I don’t wish to sound like I’m making light of this incident – I’m not wanting to. I just thought you might like to know.
Boris Brott was a great conductor, a dear friend, and a staunch supporter of mine. It was my honor to perform with him often in the past 20 years, a wide array of repertoire. He founded and ran many of Canada’s finest music organizations, and took a direct hand in the involvement of young people in classical music. His family (father Alexander, mother Lotte, brother Denis and others) is Musical Royalty in Canada, all greatly revered. This is a profound loss to music, and I shall grieve deeply. Condolences to his family, friends around the world, and fortunate audiences who loved his tremendous personality and musicianship.
Addendum to my post. One of the best articles about Boris that I’ve seen since yesterday is here in the French-Canadian newspaper Le Devoir (en français):
https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/musique/696048/musique-classique-mort-tragique-du-chef-boris-brott
Sarah, I read this over a year later. Thank you for your words. I met you in 2007or 08 at your Brott Festival debut performance. Boris thought very highly of your musicianship and you as a person. Thank you for writing this.
Heartbreaking, and so soon after Denis’ near-death covid hospitalization. Here is a large extended family in turmoil and tragedy. My memory of hanging with Denis and Boris in London at their great performance of Shostakovich Cello Concerto #1 in London and our after-concert partying is now like a knife-wound. I am devastated.
I’ve known of Boris Brott, his cellist brother Dennis, and his late father Alexander for much of my life. I saw Boris Brott conduct the McGill Chamber Orchestra (the previous name of Orchestre Classique, I assume) a few times when I lived in Montreal. This kind of accident is tragic and, sadly, all too common.
Indeed, the Orchestre de chambre McGill rebranded this year as Orchestre Classique de Montréal, keeping the same abbreviation.
This is a great loss in Canadian music. I seem to have heard of Boris Brott forever — of all Canadian classical musicians of the current era, he was probably the closest thing to a household name. His contributions to classical music in Canada will resonate for a very long time.
As others have said it is a huge loss. One of the things I was looking forward to as the pandemic winds down was attending one of his performances in Montreal again and hearing him lecture the audience not to applaud between movements.
Very sad. Boris was never music director of the Winnipeg Symphony but served as such with the Regina Symphony Orchestra in the 1970s.
Boris Brott conducting unidentified excerpts from Walton’s Façade. Glenn Gould performs in duet with Patricia Rideout, soprano, for the Rhapsody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp65jJ2uVNA