MS-314 The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

Introduction

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Paul Katz in 1933. It is recognized as one of Dayton’s oldest and longest standing cultural institutions. The records of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra document the organization’s history from founding to the recent past. The primary emphasis is on the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s. This is an ongoing collection. The collection is rich in brochures and photographs, programs, administrative records, and marketing material.

The collection consists of 46 boxes, organized into the following series:

Series I: Administrative

Series II: Marketing

Series III: Photographs

Series IV: Newspaper Clippings

Series V: Programs (by year)

Series VI: Concerts (by event)

Series VII: Performers

Series VIII: Audio-Visual

Series IX: Oversize

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Organizational Sketch

In June 1933, young conductor and violinist Paul Katz organized fellow musicians in the area and performed Dayton’s first symphonic concert. Known as the Dayton Chamber Orchestra, Katz and his group performed regular orchestral repertoire. The inaugural season of 1933-1934 consisted of four concerts, which were very successful. Volunteers formed the non-profit Dayton Chamber Orchestra Society.

In 1935, the Dayton Chamber Orchestra Society became the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Miriam Rosenthal, a powerful businesswoman in the Dayton community, worked with Paul Katz to support the budding institution. Rosenthal became the Executive Secretary in the third season and remained in that position until her death in 1965.

Paul Katz conducted and guided the Orchestra for 42 years. In 1934, Katz introduced the Young People’s Concert, a program to give students the opportunity to hear live music in a performance hall. In 1935, an all-volunteer Dayton Philharmonic Chorus was developed. In 1937, the Dayton Philharmonic Training Orchestra was formed to give young students an opportunity to study challenging pieces. Highlights of the young orchestra included performances in 1938 by both Marian Anderson and Nadia Boulanger. Paul Katz retired following the 1974-1975 season and was named Conductor Emeritus.

Charles Wendelken-Wilson was the second Music Director and conductor, serving from 1975 until 1987. During his tenure he started the All Orchestra Night Concerts as well as projects including the Women’s Association Designer Show House and the SuperPops Concerts. Isaiah Jackson became the third Music Director in 1987 and continued in that post until 1994. After an extensive search during the 1994-1995 season, Neal Gittleman became the Music Director and conductor in September 1995. Gittleman helped develop the New Year’s Eve concerts, the Classical Connections series, performances at Fraze Pavilion, and educational projects including Family Concerts, the Philharmonster concerts, and the SPARK program.

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra moved to its new home at the Benjamin and Marion Schuster Performing Arts Center in March 2003 and will celebrate its 70th anniversary as well. Previously, it was headquartered in Memorial Hall, but also held performances at Victoria Theater, the Dayton Convention Center, and the Fraze Pavilion.

For a more thorough history, please refer to the anniversary publications available in the collection.

Scope and Content

The collection is a significant contribution to the local and regional history focus of the archives. The collection contains biographies, programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, board information, and marketing information. The collection has a large number of brochures and photographs from the last three decades of the 20th century. The organization’s early history is not documented in this collection. For additional information and further reference see, MS-102: The Paul Katz Papers, SC-67: Ann Kirk Diary, and MS-183: The Dayton Philharmonic Women’s Organization, which all have more information on this topic.

Series I, Administrative, includes the history of the orchestra as first gathered and published in 1973 for the fortieth anniversary and continued in 2003 for the seventieth. This series begins with the executive records such as Board of Trustee Minutes and committee notes. Financial records concerning the budget and annual reports follow. The bulk of the series are general administrative records such as newsletters, education programs and youth orchestra information. The series contains mostly records for the 1980s and 1990s, although the youth orchestra information dates from the 1960s. Series I is located in boxes 1 through 5.

Series II, Marketing, has extensive files on the marketing issues and data used by the orchestra to recruit subscription members and to promote ticket sales. This series contains advertising campaigns, marketing expenses, audience surveys, sales reports, marketing videos, and press releases. Series II is contained in boxes 6 through 17.

Series III, Photographs, is one of the collection’s strongest areas with hundreds of photos. Many are of unknown subjects and from unknown dates; however, there is a large series of pictures from the 1994 Music Director Candidate search. Photographs are of individual members as well as large group shots and particular events. Series III can be found in boxes 18 through 24.

Series IV, Newspaper Clippings, contains clippings from local newspapers that feature the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in articles or advertisements. The dates span 1960-2004. Series IV is in boxes 25 through 29.

Series V, Program Booklets, consist of programs of the orchestra’s performances. The dates are 1933 to 2004 with a large number of programs from the 1970s and 1980s. The Programs list the music performed, the musicians involved, and the advertising paid for by local agencies to help support the Orchestra. Series V can be found in boxes 30 through 33.

Series VI, Concert Events, contains programs, advertising materials, and administrative paperwork regarding specific concert events, either ongoing series, such as the Philharmonster concert, or single performance events. Most date from 1991 to 2004. The exception is the Young People’s Concert materials which contain material from 1934 to 2001. Series VI is in boxes 34 through 36.

Series VII, Performers, contains details on the guest performers as well as some artists that were regular members of the orchestra. The files primarily contain the performer’s promotional materials, frequently including promotional photographs. Series VII can be found in boxes 37 through 41.

Series VIII, Audio-Visual Materials, contains records and tapes from the Dayton Philharmonic files. Included are 2 phonographic recordings made by the orchestra. An additional box of cassette tapes includes a few performances, reference recordings and some promotional materials. There is also a small box of glass plate slides of various composers. Series VIII is housed in boxes 42 through 44.

Series IX, Oversize Materials, is devoted primarily to the vast array of promotional artwork and posters produced for the orchestra’s advertising purposes. A small collection of oversized photographs is also included in this series. Series IX is in boxes 45 and 46.