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About That's So Retro programs
Retro Pops with Kurt Anderson pays tribute to his father Leroy Anderson and the many composers of light music of
the 1950's and 1960's. These include Henry Mancini, Robert and Russell Sherman, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.
The program can use Kurt Anderson as host and conductor of the entire program or as conductor of the Leroy Anderson
pieces, with your local conductor leading the rest of the program.
Conductor Peter Stafford Wilson, Music Director
of Ohio's Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is also available
to present this program with Kurt Anderson. For information about Peter Stafford Wilson click on
the link below:
Peter Stafford Wilson web site
About Leroy Anderson
Leroy Anderson 1908-1975 Composer and Conductor The music of Leroy Anderson is firmly entrenched in American popular culture. A composer of distinctive and delightful
miniatures, his best-known works include Sleigh Ride, The Syncopated Clock and Blue Tango.
Leroy Anderson was born on June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Swedish immigrants. He earned his B.A.
(magna cum laude) and M.A. in music at Harvard, where in the 30’s, he was director of the Harvard University Band. His
clever arrangements brought him to the attention of Arthur Fiedler, music director of the Boston Pops, who encouraged him
to write original compositions for the orchestra. The first, in 1938, was Jazz Pizzicato.
During World War II, the Army made use of Anderson's fluency in languages. He served as a translator and interpreter
in Iceland beginning in 1942. Later Anderson wrote The Syncopated Clock while working as Chief of the Scandinavian Desk of
Military Intelligence at the Pentagon.
Fiedler continued to premier Anderson’s works,
until 1950, including "Fiddle-Faddle" and "Trumpeter’s Lullaby". After that his pieces, including
the 1952 #1 hit "Blue Tango", received their first performances when recorded by the composer for Decca Records.
Anderson wrote his most ambitious work, "Piano Concerto in C", in 1953. He withdrew the work after
its premiere, intending to make changes in the first movement. He wrote his Broadway musical "Goldilocks" in 1958
with Jean and Walter Kerr.
He married Eleanor Firke in 1942. The Andersons moved to Woodbury,
Connecticut where they raised a family of four children. Leroy conducted orchestras throughout North America and continued
to compose and conduct his music until his death in 1975.
Composer John Williams has said
of Leroy Anderson’s music, "though we have performed his works countless times over the years at the Boston Pops,
his music remains forever as young and fresh as the very day on which it was composed.".
About Kurt Anderson
Kurt Anderson host
and conductor
Kurt Anderson, one of four
children of Leroy Anderson, is General Manager of classical radio station WMNR Fine Arts Radio in Monroe, Connecticut. He
enjoys sharing his love for his father's music with orchestras and concert bands throughout the country. Recently he has
conducted the Erie Philharmonic, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
while they were on tour in Connecticut.
"There are
many composers who have written serious music, and some of them have done it quite well, but there are very few who have written
music that makes you smile and I am proud to say that my father did that quite well."
"While his music may be whimsical, he took his work very seriously and he valued his ability to discriminate.
It helped him to select ideas and to develop them so that they would be worthy of people's attention. Since he wrote short
orchestral works, he generally worked at his desk or paced, carefully composing and reviewing each musical phrase of his composition.
He could work, on and off, for months getting a 3 minute piece just right.
"Many find his music special because of his ability to depict everyday events and objects in an extraordinary
way. Leroy Anderson has an old-fashioned clock do more than just go tick-tock and he takes us on an exhilarating sleigh ride
even if there is no snow."
"I am often asked
what Leroy Anderson was like. That's easy to answer. He was like his music. At the dinner table he would share, with great
appreciation, simple yet witty word based jokes. He would take the whole family to New York City and to see some of the great
broadway musicals. Once he found a movie theater that was playing a Charlie Chaplin silent film and he took us to see and
appreciate this classic American film."
"Leroy
Anderson's place in musical history is unique. His music is spirited and manages to capture a liveliness that many people
enjoy but is not found in all music. This aspect of composing requires not just musical skills but a creative genius. His
kind of creativity did not earn him a place in the annals of serious music but it accomplished something far more elusive.
The music of Leroy Anderson is enjoyed by millions of people, over many generations, throughout the world."
In 1999 Kurt produced and hosted a one hour radio documentary on
Leroy Anderson that was heard on National Public Radio stations. In 2000 he developed a new web site on Leroy Anderson as
a companion to the PBS hour long program "Once Upon a Sleigh Ride; The Music of Leroy Anderson." In 2006 he produced
the DVD release and its extra material for "Once Upon a Sleigh Ride." He lives in Connecticut with his family.
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