Sixten Ehrling has died, led Detroit Symphony

[Bluebear]

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra never had another workhorse like Sixten Ehrling, the Swedish-born music director of the orchestra from 1963 to 1973, who conducted more concerts than any other maestro in DSO history.

Mr. Ehrling, who died Sunday in New York at the age of 86, led 722 concerts during his tenure. That number grew to more than 800 by the time he guest-conducted the DSO for the last time in 1991, according to Free Press records.

Mr. Ehrling's tenure is not recalled with the golden-age rhetoric that coats remembrances of his predecessor in Detroit, French conductor Paul Paray. But Mr. Ehrling was a crucial force in bringing the DSO's repertoire into the present. He championed 20th Century music, introducing to Detroit works by Stravinsky, Nielsen, Sibelius, Lutoslawski and dozens of other important modern composers.

Mr. Erhling paid special attention to living composers from his homeland, brought the Italian master Luciano Berio to Detroit for a week's residency as composer-conductor and led 24 world premieres, including works by Americans Ulysses Kay, Ned Rorem and Alan Hovhaness.

http://www.freep.com/news/obituaries/ehrling16e_20050216.htm

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. Sounds like a great loss...

Here's a link to Amazon's list of Ehrling recordings:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/classical-artist-search/Ehrling%2C%20Sixten/102-1337468-1060901

[Bluebear]

2. A little bit of a personal one....

He conducted the first symphony performance I ever saw as a little boy in Detroit and I guess helped kindle a lifelong pursuit for me!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. It's tough to lose your mentors...

I'm sorry for your loss, Bluebear. Are you a conductor?

[Bluebear]

4. No, just another musician/composer :)