Fennell, Frederick
Frederick Fennell
Dr. Frederick Fennell was principal guest conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony, principal conductor of the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra in Japan, and Professor Emeritus at the University Of Miami School Of Music. The internationally-acclaimed conductor was widely regarded as the leader of the wind ensemble movement in this country, one of America’s most recording living American classical conductors.
Born July 2, 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio, Fennell studied at the Eastman School of Music on the University of Rochester campus, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 1937 and a Master of Music degree two years later. He became a member of the Eastman conducting faculty in 1939, founded the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 1952, and received an Honorary Doctorate from Eastman in 1988.
Dr. Fennell served as conductor of the Columbia University American Festival, the National Music Camp, the Yaddo Music Period, the Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestra and the Eastman Opera Theatre, among others. He was principal guest conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy, and other guest conducting appearances with the Boston Pops Orchestra as well as performances with the Carnegie Hall Pops Concerts and the Boston Esplanade concerts. He appeared with the Denver, San Diego, National, Hartford, St. Louis and London Symphonies; the Buffalo, Calgary and Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cleveland Orchestra and the New Orleans Philharmonic. He was also Musical Director of the School Orchestra of America with which he toured Europe in the mid ’60s.
His honors include an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University, membership in the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, honorary chief status in the Kiowa tribe, and a fellow in the Company of Military Historians. In 1961, he received a citation and a medal from the Congressional Committee for the Centennial of the Civil War for two volumes of recordings of the Music of the Civil War. Also, he was the recipient of the 25th Anniversary of Columbia University Ditson Conductor’s Award in April of 1969 and of the New England Conservatory’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble Citation in 1970. He was also awarded the Mercury Record Corporation Gold Record in 1970, and the National Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts Oscar for outstanding service as a conductor in 1975.
The Fennell/Eastman Wind Ensemble recording of Percy Grainger’s Linconshire Posy was selected as one of the Fifty Best Recordings of the Centenary of the Phonograph, 1877-1977, by the Stereo Review. In 1977, he was named consultant to the Scala Memorial Fund Library of Congress. That same year, he received the Eastman School of Music Alumni Citation for the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He received the University of Rochester Outstanding Alumni Award in 1981 and the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service Medal in 1982. He was presented the Star of the Order in 1985 from the John Philip Sousa Memorial Foundation.
Other distinctions include the Interlochen Medal of Honor and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic Medal of Honor, awarded in 1989. The following year, Dr. Fennell was inducted into the National Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame for Distiguished Band Conductors. In January of 1994, he received the Theodore Thomas Award presented by the Conductors Guild, Inc., in recognition of unparalleled leadership and service to wind band performance throughout the world.
The last two recipients of this award were maestros Solti and Bernstein. He was the initial recipient of the Medal of the International Percy Grainger Society for Distinguished Services in 1991. Frederick Fennell Hall was dedicated in Kofu, Japan, with a concert by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra on July 17, 1992.
Frederick Fennell authored several publications with musical topics, including his 1954 book “Time and the Winds”, which is still the only text of its kind. He also authored the continuing series “The Basic Band Repertory Study/Performance Essays”, and was editor of contemporary editions of classic military, circus and concert marches for Theodore Presser Co., Carl Fisher, Inc., Sam Fox Publishing Co., Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., and of the Fennell Editions for Ludwig Music.