McArthur, Edwin

views updated

McArthur, Edwin

McArthur, Edwin , American conductor, pianist, and pedagogue; b. Denver, Sept. 24, 1907; d. N.Y., Feb. 24, 1987. He studied piano in Denver and with Rosina Lhévinne in N.Y. He toured widely as a piano accompanist to various celebrated artists of the day, becoming well known as accompanist to Kirsten Flagstad. In 1938 he made his debut as an opera conductor in Chicago, and then appeared with the San Francisco Opera in 1939. On April 1, 1940, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. conducting Tristan und Isolde, remaining on its roster until 1941. From 1945 to 1950 he was director of the St. Louis Municipal Opera. He was conductor of the Harrisburg (Pa.) Sym. Orch. from 1950 to 1974. He also served as director of the opera dept. at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (1967–72) before devoting himself to private teaching. Me Arthur was the author of the book Flagstad: A Personal Memoir (N.Y, 1965).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire