Symphony’s Top Post to Be Named in Honor of Teacher, Philanthropist, and Music Aficionado, Dr. Heinrich Medicus
Albany, NY- Today, the Albany Symphony announced plans to dedicate and name its top artistic post in honor of Dr. Heinrich Medicus during a special on-stage ceremony at its first subscription concert on November 18, 2017 at the Palace Theatre. The dedication celebrates the legacy of Dr. Medicus who passed away in February and was a long-time patron, beloved board member, and close advisor to Music Director David Alan Miller.
This summer, the Albany Symphony received an extraordinary endowment gift from the Estate of Dr. Medicus. The $7 million bequest plus the additional anticipated portion of the Estate’s residuary represent the largest financial gift received in the Symphony’s history. As an endowment gift, the use of the funds is restricted to the income they produce. Through this bequest, Dr. Medicus ensured that his decades of support of the orchestra he loved would continue in perpetuity.
Jerry Golub, Chair of the Albany Symphony’s Board of Directors, said, “Heinrich’s commitment to the Albany Symphony was unmatched. His generous bequest provides an incredible foundation upon which we can build our future. It is now our turn to honor his memory and final wish: that his gift serve as a catalyst to inspire others to give more generously as well. The Board is committed to raise the funds needed for the Albany Symphony to continue serving the community for generations to come through its artistic excellence and education and community programs.”
Dr. Medicus, who passed away at the age of 98, was a distinguished professor of physics at RPI and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Albany Symphony as an active member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Medicus had a deep love of music and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Albany Symphony up until his last days. Dr. Medicus was instrumental in strengthening the Albany Symphony’s position as a nationally acclaimed orchestra by challenging the organization to produce classical music that was second to none in terms of its quality. With his support, the Albany Symphony was able to invite world class musicians like Joshua Bell and Yo-Yo Ma to the Capital Region. Dr. Medicus was a beloved friend and trusted advisor to Music Director David Alan Miller.
David Alan Miller said, “Heinrich Medicus was one of the most passionate music lovers I ever had the privilege of knowing. Music, to him, was as life-sustaining as food and water (or, in his case, wine, about which he was a great expert). While he was most attached to the glorious Germanic repertory he grew up with, he was one of the most open-minded listeners I ever encountered. We will miss him terribly, but his spirit will be with us every time we make music together.”
The special pre-concert ceremony will begin at 7:30PM led by David Alan Miller and representatives from the Albany Symphony’s Board of Directors. The concert program will feature the Albany Symphony’s first performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in over 25 years and a dramatic musical retelling of Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle by American composer David Del Tredici. In its 2018-19 season, the Albany Symphony will perform a concert with special repertoire in honor of Dr. Medicus’ 100th birthday in December 2018.
Tickets to the Albany Symphony performance can be purchased by calling 518.694.3300, online at www.albanysymphony.com, or by visiting the Albany Symphony Box Office at 19 Clinton Ave., Albany, NY 12207. Individuals who are interested in making a donation to the Symphony in memory of Dr. Medicus are encouraged to contact Geoff Miller, Director of Development at 518.694.3300 x151 or via email at GeoffM@AlbanySymphony.com.
About the Albany Symphony:
The Albany Symphony is one of this region’s most revered music and cultural institutions, having won numerous national awards for its adventurous concert programming, recording projects, composer residencies, and innovative educational efforts involving area schools.
The Albany Symphony’s season, which spans nine months from October through June, features timeless masterpieces, brilliant soloists, thrilling new compositions, and holiday and family programming. The trailblazing American Music Festival caps each season with a full week of dynamic new works by some of today’s best composers. As the only professional orchestra based in the Capital Region, the Albany Symphony enriches a broad and diverse community and engages more than 150,000 people each year throughout the area.
The Albany Symphony’s programs and events are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
For more information, visit albanysymphony.com.
About David Alan Miller:
Grammy Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation. As the Music Director of the Albany Symphony since 1992, Mr. Miller has proven himself a creative and compelling orchestra builder. Through exploration of unusual repertoire, educational programming, community outreach and recording initiatives, he has reaffirmed the Albany Symphony’s reputation as the nation’s leading champion of American symphonic music and one of its most innovative orchestras. He and the orchestra have twice appeared at "Spring For Music," an annual festival of America's most creative orchestras at New York City's Carnegie Hall. Other accolades include Columbia University’s 2003 Ditson Conductor’s Award, the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to American music, the 2001 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming and, in 1999, ASCAP’s first-ever Leonard Bernstein Award for Outstanding Educational Programming.
Frequently in demand as a guest conductor, Mr. Miller has worked with most of America’s major orchestras, including the orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, as well as the New World Symphony, the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet. In addition, he has appeared frequently throughout Europe, Australia and the Far East as guest conductor. He made his first guest appearance with the BBC Scottish Symphony in March, 2014. Mr. Miller received his Grammy Award in January, 2014 for his Naxos recording of John Corigliano's "Conjurer," with the Albany Symphony and Dame Evelyn Glennie. His extensive discography also includes recordings of the works of Todd Levin with the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, as well as music by Michael Daugherty, Kamran Ince, and Michael Torke for London/Decca, and of Luis Tinoco for Naxos. His recordings with the Albany Symphony include discs devoted to the music of John Harbison, Roy Harris, Morton Gould, Don Gillis, Peter Mennin, and Vincent Persichetti on the Albany Records label. A native of Los Angeles, David Alan Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School. Prior to his appointment in Albany, Mr. Miller was Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 1982 to 1988, he was Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony, earning considerable acclaim for his work with that ensemble. Mr. Miller lives with his wife and three children in Slingerlands, New York.
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