Music: Conductor Made

The good fortune which 32 years ago smiled on an obscure Hungarian dentist smiled again on his son last week, left him overnight an established orchestral conductor. The Hungarian dentist had been to hear famed Jeno Hubay, decided that he wanted a son named Jeno who would also play the violin. The son was born with a prodigious talent for music, at 4 was able to correct an experienced virtuoso for playing an F sharp instead of an F natural, at 7 was playing in public.

Eugene (English for Jeno) Ormandy arrived in the U. S. ten years ago for a concert tour, but his manager failed him and he took the only job he could find— violinist in Manhattan’s Capitol Theatre orchestra. One day the conductor was taken suddenly ill and the pale young Hungarian led the orchestra without a score on a few hours’ notice. Another ailing conductor gave Eugene Ormandy his big chance last week: Arturo Toscanini was unable to keep his engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra because of arm neuritis. Illustrious conductors are difficult to obtain on short notice. The management thought of Ormandy, his good stewardship in radio (Dutch Masters, Jack Frost hours), his occasional successes at summer concerts in Philadelphia and Manhattan. A bit bewildered by his good fortune, Ormandy set out for Philadelphia, conducted so expertly that even Stokowski addicts were enthusiastic. Minneapolis, hearing of his achievement, immediately summoned him to substitute this week for Belgian Henri Verbrugghen, also ailing. Minneapolis will find him as Philadelphia did, a diligent, painstaking musician, free from mannerisms. His thin, blond hair and light blue eyes are perfect counterparts of a self-effacing personality. But Conductor Ormandy is no longer pale. He uses a sun-ray lamp diligently, wears a becoming all-year tan.