Knudsen, Ronald (1931-29th March 2015)

He was a violinist, conductor and teacher born in Beatrice, Nebraska and brought up in Minnesota where he took musical studies at the MacPhail School of Music and from 1952 to 1959 he was a student at the Peabody Conservatory. He was awarded a Tanglewood Music Center fellowship in 1958 and performed there as a soloist and concertmaster.

In the early 1960s he held positions within the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and in 1965 he became a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who he continued to perform with for the next 48 years.

In 1970 he became the concertmaster and conductor of the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, remaining with them until 1988. While he was at Brockton he also took on the position of music director of the Newton Symphony Orchestra in 1982 and held that position with them for the next 13 years until 1995 when he became the music director for the New Philharmonia Orchestra of Massachusetts.

In 1971 he became a co-founder of the chamber ensemble Curtisville Consortium and remained with them as their music director. In 1972 he became one of the original musicians in Boston’s Collage New Music.

Very sought after as a soloist and guest musician he performed with many American ensembles and orchestras that include the Boston Pops Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra and Worcester Symphony Orchestra.

He first conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1990 and has did so many times following that and added the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra to his repertoire. He was also the conductor of Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

In the field of musical education he was a faculty member of the Tanglewood Institute and All Newton Music School, where he was a Director. He also worked with many of the orchestras in and around Boston.

Throughout the course of his career he performed on several recordings which include America, Holiday Pops, The Latin Album, My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration and A Splash of Pops by the Boston Pops Orchestra.

His contribution to music was recognised and saw him being awarded the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce Appreciation Award and the Newton Pride Award for Excellence in the Arts.

He continued to perform with the BSO and NPO until his retirement in 2013 and resided in Newton where he repaired historical string instruments. His daughter is a graphic designer and his son, Sato, is a cellist with the BSO.

He passed away at home in Newton after suffering from congestive heart failure and complications from kidney ailments. He was 83 years old.

Boston Pops Orchestra recordings
With Voices Raised (Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty)
Conductor – Keith Lockhart
Tenor – Jason Danieley
RCA 63516 (CD: A Splash of Pops)

Sources:

Knudsen, Ronald (1931-29th March 2015)

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