Theodore Thomas
Born October 11, 1835, Esens (East Friesland, Germany)
Died January 4, 1905, Chicago

    Thomas's first important appearance as a conductor was at the New York Academy of Music in 1859. Three years later the first orchestral concert under his sponsorship was given at Irving Hall, and he then began an association with the Brooklyn Philharmonic that was to endure for nearly 30 years.

    More than a conductor, Thomas was a powerful force in the development of an infrastructure for the performance and popularizing of classical music in the United States (and Canada) in the 19th century. Works by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt and Wagner dominated the programs of his Irving Hall Symphonic Soirees, inaugurated in 1864 and moved in 1872 to Steinway Hall, where they continued until 1878. His summer concerts, begun in 1865, were fixtures of New York City's musical life for eight years.

    The orchestra bearing his name first toured the United States and Canada in 1869, giving concerts in many North American cities, including Boston and Chicago, which did not yet have orchestras of their own but would soon see the establishment of permanent resident orchestras, thanks largely to Thomas's effective evangelizing.  It was during this tour that the Theodore Thomas Orchestra of New York visited Worcester, Massachusetts to perform the November 3rd afternoon and evening concerts at Mechanics Hall, featuring, among other works, Meyerbeer's Fackeltanzen (Torch Dances) No. 1 and No. 3.

    Thomas founded the Cincinnati May Festival in 1873, and remained its music director until his death more than 30 years later. He played a central role in the creation of Cincinnati's Music Hall, in which the induction ceremony of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame is taking place. He presented a summer series in Chicago from 1877 to 1890. The "Thomas Highway," as his tours were called, brought symphonic and choral music to audiences in cities all across the United States. In 1883 the Theodore Thomas Orchestra gave a concert each day for 74 days and appeared in 30 cities. The following year saw Thomas conducting concert performances of Wagner's music in eight U.S. cities and Montreal.

    During the same period Thomas was also conductor of the New York Philharmonic (1877-1891). The Phil- harmonic thrived under his leadership, and he disbanded his own orchestra in 1888. He remained interested in creating a new permanent, full-time orchestra of major significance, and in 1891 he responded to an invitation from a group of business leaders in Chicago to organize and head the ensemble that was to be his most impressive living monument.

    This was the Chicago Orchestra, which was Thomas's principal commitment throughout his remaining years. Orchestra Hall, built specifically for his hugely successful new ensemble, opened in December 1904, with Thomas conducting a series of festival concerts-just three weeks before his death. The Orchestra's name was changed to the Theodore Thomas Orchestra in 1906, and became the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1912. For many years beyond that date the hall itself bore the name Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall.

    By the time Thomas settled in Chicago his influence was felt everywhere, and he was regarded as the "father of American orchestras." Symphony orchestras were developed in cities in which he had staged festivals, and in others on his tour routes. Music by new and established European masters as well as by 19th-century American composers was heard throughout the country in emulation of his own programs; special types pops and children's concerts, still delight listeners and introduce new audiences to classical music today.