ALFRED WALLENSTEIN (1898-1983), MD 1943-1956

Born in Chicago of German and Austrian parents, Wallenstein was raised from the age of seven in Los Angeles. As a child he studied cello and was performing in hotels and movie theaters; he also gave public recitals fittingly advertised as “the wonder-boy cellist.” In 1919, he joined the cello section of the just formed Los Angeles Philharmonic during its inaugural season. In 1943 Wallenstein became the fifth music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the first American conductor to fill this post. As music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he increased symphony season to ninety concerts, changed the title of the “Young People and Children’s Concerts” to “Symphonies for Youth” (1948), and in 1956 led the LAPO on a tour of Asia under the sponsorship of the State Department. He also increased the visibility of the orchestra through RCA Victor and American Decca recordings.