Leopold Stokowski - London, England
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 51° 35.420 W 000° 10.958
30U E 695156 N 5719237
Prolific twentieth-century classical conductor Leopold Stokowski’s grave in East Finchley Cemetery, not far from where he was born in 1882.
Waymark Code: WM155BV
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/19/2021
Views: 2
Leopold Stokowski was born in the Marylebone district of London in 1882 of mixed Polish, Scottish and Irish descent. He showed an early inclination toward music having attended the Royal College of Music at the age of 13 and the Royal College of Organists at age 16. In 1905, Stokowski was recruited by St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City to be their organist. While in New York, he was able to hobnob with prominent music personalities including concert pianist Olga Samaroff whom he would later marry.
Through Olga Samaroff, Leopold Stokowski was able to secure the job of conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra even though he had little experience with conducting. He would go on to conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years, the All-American Youth Orchestra, the New York Symphony, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic as well as a stint in Hollywood working with Walt Disney on ‘Fantasia.’
Stokowski’s brash and sometimes self-serving approach and his antagonistic dealings with those above and below him often resulted in his short-lived associations. This also seemed to spill over into his personal life as he was married and divorced three times. Leopold Stokowski did have a long and prolific recording career, beginning in 1917 and lasting into the LP era. These recordings represented many premier recordings and innovations. He was still making recordings in May and June of 1977, the same year he died at the age of 95.
Description:
See Long Description above.
Date of birth: 04/18/1882
Date of death: 09/13/1977
Area of notoriety: Entertainment
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: none
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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