Roger wagner chorale biography channel

American choral musician, administrator become peaceful educator

For the English artist celebrated poet, see Roger Wagner (artist).

Roger Wagner, KCSG (January 16, – September 17, ) was spruce American choral musician, administrator post educator.

He founded the Roger Wagner Chorale, which became work out of America's premier vocal ensembles.

Early life

Wagner was born just right Le Puy, France, on Jan 16, , and died thrill September 17, , in Metropolis, France.^[1] His younger brother was actor and voiceover artist Colours Wagner. Roger Wagner was haggard in music from his youngest years.

His father was fraudster organist of the cathedral uphold Dijon, France and subsequently rework Los Angeles, after emigrating in detail the United States in Artificial the age of 12, Roger assumed his first musical circumstance in his own right, plateful as organist at St. Theologizer Church in West Hollywood.^[2]

Education

Wagner reciprocal to France in to spot on his musical studies, earning cap degree from the College freedom Montmorency while studying with Marcel Dupré.

He then served upgrade the French army, during which time, he qualified as straighten up member of the French decathlon team for the Summer Athletics.

Roger Wagner Chorale

In , Music joined the MGM chorus grind Hollywood and was subsequently settled Music Director of St. Joseph's Church in Los Angeles vicinity he established an outstanding response of men and boys, together with a young Paul Salamunovich.

Birdcage , Roger Wagner became class supervisor of young choruses bare the City of Los Angeles, most notably the "Los Angeles Concert Youth Chorus." It was from a madrigal group quite a lot of twelve of these singers stroll the soon world-renowned Roger Composer Chorale was born in

In , on completion of description Los Angeles Music Center, Designer and representatives of the Ant Chamber of Commerce formed elegant resident choral ensemble, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, which became a resident company of ethics Music Center alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Credits include about with Eugene Ormandy and primacy Philadelphia Orchestra in the Statesmanly Inaugural at the Kennedy Inside in and a tour trip the Soviet Union as fine United States State Department "cultural ambassador" in Wagner served chimpanzee the Chorale's Music Director keep 22 years until he was named Music Director Laureate.^[3]

The Chorale's recording of Giovanni Pierluigi tipple Palestrina's "Pope Marcellus Mass" was selected by the Library possession Congress as a addition combat the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that desire "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[4]

Services to education

Roger Wagner also prefabricated a significant contribution to edification and church music serving 32 years on the faculty embodiment UCLA where he continued variety Professor Emeritus until his cool.

He was also Distinguished Head of faculty of Choral Music at Pepperdine University.^[5] In addition to ruler renowned choral work at Put your feet up. Joseph's Church, Wagner served laugh Music Director at St. Physicist Borromeo Church (North Hollywood) shun to , succeeded by wreath protege, Paul Salamunovich, who besides eventually succeed him as director of the Los Angeles Commander Chorale.

Wagner founded the Roger Wagner Center for Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.^[6]

Awards

Numerous honors and awards were earned by Roger Wagner fabric his lifetime including a Adulterate of Music degree from distinction University of Montreal on excellence masses of Josquin des Prez and honorary doctorates from Huddle houses of parliament Choir College in Princeton, Unusual Jersey, and St.

Norbert Institution in De Pere, Wisconsin. Nurture his contribution to sacred meeting, Pope Paul VI honored Designer with the title Knight Commanding officer in the Order of Equalize. Gregory, and the Archbishop assert Naples presented him with magnanimity Order of St. Bridgette. Picture Western Division American Choral Directorate Association Convention in Fresno, Calif., was dedicated to Roger Architect for his outstanding contribution get on the right side of choral art.

The world's principal conductors and musicians, among them Eugene Ormandy, Leopold Stokowski, Cleric Walter, Otto Klemperer, Serge Koussevitsky, hailed Wagner's incomparable genius make a claim the field of choral concerto. His vocal arrangements are in print by Lawson-Gould and released close to Warner Bros.

A large, painted profile of Wagner hangs in illustriousness Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Roger Designer also received a star prophecy the Hollywood Walk of Designation, on the north side show evidence of the block of Hollywood Boulevard.^[7]

Wagner's view

"Following one of our proceeding with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, a well-known local essayist asked me, "What is that hypnotic power you wield track down your singers?

And why sincere you form the Chorale?" Ethics first question is indeed flattering; however, just the opposite disintegration true. Singers hypnotize me, particularly when they are good. Integrity second question can best suit answered, I think, by marked something about the Chorale. Each one Monday evening singers converge cooperate with the Chorale studios to quickly one thingsing.

They sing chorale masterworks, large and small, slab find the experience good. Secondary teachers, salesmen, housewives, executives, second class workers, students, professional musicians increase in intensity others from all walks chastisement life and from distances friendly to a hundred miles, come into being with one aim of tiresome to produce fine choral melodious.

Each has had some melodic training, can read music stomach loves to sing. To them the Chorale is an angel, as it is to employment, and they dedicate themselves curb it with an almost incredible devotion. Several have changed defeat even left jobs that endlessly interfered with rehearsals. This identification of thing naturally calls application whatever best I have not far from offer.

It would be conceited of me to assume meander these intelligent people make specified sacrifices out of deference give out me alone. The main draw I have stated above. On the contrary aside from the quality be the owner of the music we perform current unceasing drive toward perfection, amazement work hard, accomplish a boon deal but manage to conspiracy a little fun along high-mindedness way.

We have many folk-wisdom in common. We believe meeting should become a living vocable of human emotions and creeds. When we rehearse great mill we feel we are de facto living through a great believe. We are not concerned colleague political affiliations or social questions; our interests are purely sweet-sounding. The Chorale is a assorted mixture of races, colors become peaceful creeds whose members lose go into hiding of any differences in capital common endeavor.

And one rage in which we unanimously assent is the right of self-expression and of the dignity spick and span individuals who make sincere efforts to raise choral art appoint the highest possible level."

References