The legacy of the “City of Champions” is more than Super Bowls, Worlds Series, Stanley Cups, NCAA Championships or superstars. It also includes Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra stars like Victor Herbert, Fritz Reiner, William Steinberg — and Lorin Maazel, who died July 13, 2014.
From a child prodigy in Paris, LA and Pittsburgh, at the age of 9 he conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. At 11, he conducted the NBC Orchestra; at 15, he attended the University of Pittsburgh; and at 18, he was a PSO violinist before going to Italy on a Fulbright scholarship. His years conducting in Europe and America were his “training camp.”
Maazel’s God-given genius was as memorable as any Pittsburgh sports hero. Frequently with no musical score, he flawlessly conducted the PSO through each night’s “game plan,” and while his authority was imposing, he could seamlessly become as captivated by the musicians in front of him as any spectator in the audience.
Though his baton had not the weight of Roberto Clemente’s 35-ounce bat, and his approach to the podium was not as tortuous as Clemente’s preparatory landscaping at home plate, Maazel was every bit an all-star and superstar here and around the world.
Daniel Zajdel
Churchill