Page 10
The
Portland Observer Black History Month
February 13, 2013
Maestro DePriest Larger than Life
Beloved
conductor
dies at 76
p h ia C o n s e rv a to ry o f M u
s ic a n d e a r n e d a b a c h e l o r ’s
a n d a m a s t e r ’s d e g r e e f r o m
th e U n iv e r s ity o f P e n n s y l
v a n ia .
In 1962, he c o n tra c te d p o lio
w h ile o n a to u r in T h a ila n d , le a v
in g h im w ith a frail w a lk th at
M a e s tro Ja m e s D e P rie st, a b e
lo v e d c o n d u c to r a n d lo n g tim e O r
P o rtla n d a u d ie n c e s c o u ld n ’t h e lp
b u t n o tic e . W h ile a c e le b rity o f
e g o n S y m p h o n y d ire c to r, d ie d on
F rid a y at h is h o m e in S c o ttsd a le,
c la ssic a l m u sic , D e P rie st w as a lso
fa m o u s fo r h is c o m p o sitio n o f
A riz. H e w as 7 6 -y e a rs-o ld .
“T h e C o sb y S h o w ” th e m e song,
A t th e tim e o f h is d e a th ,
D e P rie s t w as d ire c to r e m e ritu s
o f c o n d u c tin g an d o rc h e stra l s tu d
James DePriest
m a d e in c o lla b o ra tio n w ith g o o d
frie n d , B ill C o sb y .
ies at th e Ju llia rd S c h o o l and la u
h is l e a d e r s h ip , th e o r c h e s tr a
In 2 0 0 5 , P re sid e n t G e o rg e W .
B u sh p re se n te d D e P rie st w ith the
re a te m u sic d ire c to r o f th e O r
egon Sym phony.
m o v e d fro m a sm all p a rt tim e
N a tio n a l M e d a l o f A r ts , th e
n a tio n ’s h ig h e st h o n o r fo r a rtistic
A c c o rd in g his m a n a g e r an d the
v ice p re s id e n t o f O p u s 3 A rtists,
g ro u p to a fu ll tim e , n a tio n a lly
re c o g n iz e d o rc h e stra w ith 17 r e
c o rd in g s .
e x c e lle n c e .
D e P rie s t p a sse d a w ay fro m c o m
p lic a tio n s ste m m in g fro m a h e art
O re g o n w as n o t th e o n ly s y m
p h o n y to b e n e fit h is ta le n ts. In h is
m e n t said h e “p o sse sse d an a m a z
in g a b ility to e v o k e the e m o tio n a l
a tta c k h e s u ffe re d la st year.
J u llia rd b io g ra p h y , it say s th a t
T h e O re g o n S y m p h o n y r e
le a s e d a s ta te m e n t F rid a y th a t
D e P rie s t a p p e a re d w ith e v e ry
c o n te n t o f th e c la s s ic a l re p e r
to ire , e sp e c ia lly w o rk fro m the
re a d in p a rt: “ A p a ss io n a te a n d
e lo q u e n t m an , Jim m y w as la rg e r
th a n life, a p o w e rfu l fo rce fo r
m a jo r N o rth A m e ric a n o rc h e stra ,
a n d in te rn a tio n a lly , h e h a d c o n
d u c te d in c itie s like A m ste rd a m ,
V ie n n a ,
B u d a p e s t,
P rag u e,
m u s ic an d th e arts in th e c o m m u
S y d n e y , T e l A v iv a n d T o k y o .
n ity if P o rtla n d a n d b e y o n d .” H e
D e P r i e s t w a s b o r n in
P h i l a d e l p h i a in 1 9 3 6 .
He
se rv e d as o u r d ire c to r an d c o n
d u c to r fro m 1980 to 2 0 0 3 .
H is w o rk w ith th e o rc h e stra
lite ra lly p u t it on th e m ap. U n d e r
w a s th e n e p h e w o f c o n
tra lto
M a ria n
A n d e rso n .
H e s tu d ie d a t th e P h ila d e l
T h e O re g o n S y m p h o n y ’s sta te
R o m a n tic P e rio d . N o o n e w ill
e v e r fo rg e t his ic o n ic lo v e an d
p a ss io n fo r R a c h m a n in o ff.”
“ H e w ill b e m isse d b y th e S y m
p h o n y , its m u sic ia n s an d staff.
W e all re c o g n iz e th a t w e stan d
h e re to d a y b e c a u se o f h im . O u r
h e a rts an d b e st w ish e s g o o u t to
h is w ife, G in e tte , a n d h is e n tire
fa m ily ,” th e s y m p h o n y said.
ALL ABOARD!
RAILROADING AND PORTLAND'S BLACK COMMUNITY
On display January 15—April 21, 2013
His Legacy
Will Live On
Charles H.
Washington
’ 7 $
.
I
• Ta
In this o rig in a l Oregon H isto ry M useum e xh ib it, le a rn
about the block co m m u n ity Hint grew up m id w orked
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