DPO History

After the initial success of the summer concerts at the Dayton Art Institute in 1933, Paul Katz and his 26 musicians planned their first full season. A few key Dayton area business and community leaders stepped in to volunteer. Siegfried Weng, Director of the Dayton Art Institute, waived the fee for using the auditorium, and Albert Epstein, an engineer at Wright Field, assisted with finances. Epstein also donated his entire savings account of $300. In the conclusion of a letter to patrons in the first season’s program book, Epstein wrote, “This is an experimental year for our organization...the Orchestra shall be whatever you wish to make of it.”

Maurice Katz, Paul’s brother and a lawyer by profession, began his 42-year stint as the author of each concert’s program notes and helped draw up incorporation papers. The Orchestra officially set up business in the home of Ann Kirk, the group’s harpist, publicist, and first Secretary-Treasurer. Musicians were paid $5 per performance, and although the concerts were a rousing success, the Chamber Orchestra Society ended its first season with a deficit of $90.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, 1934

Albert Epstein After collecting what they could from a newspaper drive, Orchestra members made up the first year’s $90 deficit and began their second season with balanced books. That same year, recognizing the importance of music education, they scheduled four additional concerts just for children. By the fifth season, Dayton had won the distinction of being the only community in the country where symphony concerts were frequently presented free to children during school hours. Support from the Dayton Foundation and the Junior League had made that achievement possible. Paul Katz’s contacts in the local, national, and international music world also made possible the appearances by some of the most world-renowned guest soloists right from the beginning of the Orchestra’s formation.

Ann Kirk In 1935, just two years after the Orchestra’s test flight, the group formally became the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, incorporated in the State of Ohio. The new name better suited the organization that was now performing at the Victory Theatre and tackling larger works for a full-size orchestra. Musicians and music lovers alike were working in earnest to support the group, which – by its own efforts – had evolved from a penniless, but devoted, organization into an Orchestra of stature. Prominent public figures, including Mrs. Julia Carnell, the philanthropist whose vision and financial support created the Dayton Art Institute, and Richard H. Grant, Vice-President of Sales for General Motors Corporation, took a strong interest in the Orchestra. Mrs. N.M. Stanley served as President of the Dayton Philharmonic Association, the forerunner of today's DPVA, from 1935 -1937. Together with other local leaders, they became instrumental in providing additional funds for the musical organization and stimulating support within the community.

Julia Carnell During the 1935-36 season, the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus was formed and led by William Krebs, one of the city’s outstanding choral directors. They made their debut in 1936 with a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. To accommodate Dayton’s first large-scale orchestra and chorus performance, the concert was held at Memorial Hall. The Dayton Power and Light Company donated and set up temporary lighting to spotlight the chorus, beginning a trend in corporate support of the Orchestra.

Richard H. Grant For the Philharmonic, the brightest light was the early addition of Miriam Rosenthal to the small group of sustainers. Originally listed as the executive secretary of the board, Rosenthal joined Katz in what would become three decades of devotion, dedication, and hard work in promoting the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Her public relations skills and influence within the business community helped strengthen the Orchestra’s visibility and prominence. Today, the Miriam Rosenthal legacy lives on through a foundation, established in her name, which endows many artistic endeavors throughout the Miami Valley, including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mrs. N.M. Stanley One of Dayton’s greatest by-products of industry, the Inland Children’s Chorus joined the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in December of 1937. The 100-voice chorus, directed by Richard Westbrock, was founded and maintained by the Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors for the children of its employees. This special concert began a tradition that kicked off Dayton’s holiday season for almost 20 years. Many long-time patrons still recall the traditional long blue dresses worn by the girls and the boy’s Eton-style jackets.

­ Miriam Rosenthal In 1937, only four years after founding the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Katz formed the Dayton Philharmonic Training Orchestra to provide local students with the opportunity to perform substantial orchestral works and, for some, to prepare them to join professional orchestras. After three years, he turned the Training Orchestra’s podium over to Marjorie Kline, principal second violin, who dedicated herself to the position for almost 30 years.

­ Inland Children's Chorus, 1937-1938 The brochure for the 1937-38 season called guest artist Marian Anderson, a “…tall, statuesque American Negro contralto.” Breaking racial barriers in the opera world, Anderson was referred to by the Dayton press as a “…great lady” and highly praised for her performance that included two spirituals and an encore of Schubert’s Ave Maria. Katz and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra were well ahead of their time, although she still was not allowed to enter Dayton’s Biltmore Hotel through the front door.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Victoria Theatre, 1935 Nadia Boulanger, one of the most distinguished musicians in the world, graced the Victory Theatre stage with the DPO in October of 1938. The French organist, pianist, composer, conductor, and authority in the theory of musical composition traveled to Dayton at the invitation of Katz. During the summer of 1931, Katz had earned a certificate in composition under her tutelage in France at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau. Years later, future Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Music Directors Isaiah Jackson and Neal Gittleman would also study at Fontainebleau.

Efrem Zimbalist, guest soloist during the 1938-39 season, was quoted by the Dayton press as saying that he was “…pleasantly surprised at the quality of the local orchestra,” but added that a city the size and importance of Dayton ought to have one much larger. Zimbalist performed to a capacity audience on his famous Laumoureaux Stradivarius.

As the 1930s came to an end, Epstein’s original challenge to Dayton’s arts patrons had been met. The Orchestra had become what they wished to make of it – a success!

Paul Katz (back row, fifth from left) and his class at Fontainebleau, 1931. Nadia Boulanger is seated front and center. Neal Gittleman (front row, far right) and his 1973 Fontainebleau class, including Emile Naomoff, Nadia Boulanger's last and very young protégé (Naomoff on chair next to Boulanger at piano). Naomoff, the internationally acclaimed pianist, appeared with the DPO in 2001. Robert X. Rodriguez (second row, fourth from right) wrote a specially commissioned work for the DPO's 2003 tribute to the Wright Brothers and the 100th Anniversary of Flight. Marian Anderson